The Chosen Two
by ladylick
Summary: Faith dies. A new slayer is called. How will Buffy handle it?
1. Default Chapter

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

" Mmmprhh."

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Buffy smacked her hand onto the bedside table, meaning to quell the cause of the annoying sound, turn over and go back to sleep. When her hand closed over the phone, she sighed and shrugged away the last heavy traces of slumber.

   "Hello." She muttered.

"Well good evening to you too Mrs Poopy!" chirped Willow.

Buffy sighed. "Argh! I'm sorry Will, I didn't mean to-" She stopped suddenly, a yawn escaping from her.

"Buffy?" Willow said in concern. "You ok? Were you taking a nap or something?"

"No…well…yeah." Buffy admitted. "But it wasn't meant to be a nap and that's if naps can classify for taking…" she glanced at the clock and raised her eyebrows. "Four and a half hours! God, how did that happen? Well, actually…." Buffy furrowed her brow, remembering. " I did a quick patrol after my last class this afternoon and had to fight SIX vamps, Will….well, dusted six vamps. This town is getting out of control; I've never had that many before and so early, too. And the patrol last night went on until past two…I swear I just sat on my bed for a minute and I was out like a light."

   "God, Buffy…that can't be good. I wonder why there's so many?" Willow asked. "How many do you normally see when you're out after school? And…the day? How does that work?"

   "It was cloudy, so no sunlight-dancing-on-the-skin induced ashiness. But normally I don't see any . I mean, after class the patrol normally takes 10 to 15, max. Tonight it took hour and a half. Same the night before. In fact, every night this week. I don't have any energy for college." Buffy sounded a little worried.

   "Well, thank the lord it's the weekend Buff." Willow smiled. "At least you don't have to worry about falling asleep in class or homework or anything. You can get some rest, you must need it."

   "That's true…but its not that that's bothering me…" Buffy chewed on her lip. "It's the vamps."

   "What about them?" Willow asked. "They haven't hurt you or anything have they?"

   "No, it's not that. Well, they haven't hurt me yet. It's just…the whole thing with them coming out in the day."

"Well, you said yourself, it wasn't sunny," Willow pointed out. "Therefore they would take advantage."

   "No but you see, they normally wouldn't." Buffy shook her head. "They wouldn't take the risk, coming out in the daytime…I don't know why, but they're getting cockier, Will. I think Angel's right; something's going to happen. And I'm worried that soon there'll be too many of them for me to handle."

    "Buffy," Willow said calmly. "I know its panicking them coming out in the day, but please don't worry. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for it. More importantly, you need a break. I promised you earlier in the week that we were gonna have a great Friday night out, the whole gang, and that includes NOT letting you worry- about Slayer stuff, about Angel, about Riley, about _anything._ And I won't. We'll get Giles on the vamp problem, and in the mean time, we've got the Dingoes and the Bronze to cheer you up. "

  "As well as Angel coming along." Buffy interjected glumly.

"Well…" Willow's voice faltered. "At least Riley's not going to be there, so there won't be any problems?"

    Buffy smiled. "It's okay. I'm resigned to the fact that he's coming now- I'm just going to try and get through this week without any thoughts of "what if." And you're right, I'm incredibly glad Riley's on a mission with the Initiative coincidentally - I would've been on egg-shells the whole time if the two of them had been around me." Angel had phoned Buffy on Wednesday to inform her that he had to come back to Sunnydale. Something was going to happen this year, he informed her. He'd been notified that the Elkean scrolls were on their way to Sunnydale, which he had already informed Giles of, and he needed to read them and find out what, where and when. That was not all he had said, but that was all she had told Willow. She couldn't bring herself to talk about the other part. Buffy remembered, her heart constricting painfully, how his voice had softened when he asked her "Do you mind me coming?"

     "No," she had lied, not that she minded because she didn't want to see him of course, which was the whole point. She wanted to see him _too_ much; she felt a need that she knew she shouldn't be feeling, especially not after all this time. It was hard enough trying to be friends with ex-boyfriends, and it wasn't helped that they were going to be around the whole week, working side by side with you as they always used to, and it was kind of bordering-on-the-unbearable if you still had deep, strong feelings for them. Part of Buffy was dreading the moment she saw him; part of her just couldn't wait. 

     "I have to come." He had said simply. "I have to read the scrolls, I have to know, for practical reasons. It could be happening somewhere near me. What, I don't know. But in all reality, whatever is happening, it'll be happening in Sunnydale."

    "Oh, the pleasures of living on the Hell mouth," countered Buffy, dryly. "I thought it had been a while since an apocalypse. I miss it."

    Angel chuckled, and Buffy had felt a lump form in her throat at the sound. "It might not even be an apocalypse. All I know is that this year is an important year. However, what I was trying to say was….it'll probably happen in Sunnydale. I'm about 99% certain. But even if I was 100% certain, I would still be coming."

    "To read the scrolls?" Buffy had asked quietly, winding the phone cord around her fingers as she began to feel agitated.

     "To protect you. Buffy, if you were ever in any trouble…I don't know how I could go on if something happened to you."

   "Don't." Buffy interjected. "Please…don't start saying this…It makes it harder."

"Buffy, I know it's hard." Angel carried on, "But-"

"No!" She broke in, anger and pain rising in her throat. "No, Angel, you _don't know. You don't know how it feels at all! It's been over a year since you left. You don't know what it was like for me then, picking up the pieces, while you moved on with your new life. You came back, what, _twice, _to spy on me and then to tell me you didn't like my boyfriend! And when I came to see you, you _ordered_ me out of __your town. I was just an ex to you. I __am just an ex to you. You never call. You just cut me out! It's easy for you to say you know how hard it is when you don't have to carry on in the same old place where everything and anything can remind me of you!"_

     There was a silence while Buffy had fought back the tears. Why did it feel like this? Why was the pain so fresh? It never got any easier, ever. Even when everyone around her always told her it would. "Give it time," they said. "You need time." How much time? Time was not something, as the Slayer, that she could take very lightly. And it was true, normally she could forget about it, bury it down within her, but whenever he surfaced into her life, whenever he came, whenever he called, she couldn't hide it. It came bubbling up like a black volcano and the pain covered her in floods.

    Angel finally spoke. "Buffy." He was struggling to speak as well, she had realised. "It was harder for you. I'm not saying it wasn't. And it still is. I appreciate that."

   "So why even come back anyway?" Buffy asked sharply, "To make yourself feel better? Oh, it doesn't matter that I ran out on Buffy, I can still come back and play the knight in shining armour! Even when it's _too late."_

   Angel took a deep breath. "Look, Buffy, maybe I deserve all this, but…I can't keep away, as much as I try. Not this time."

    "Why?" Buffy couldn't stop herself cajoling him, digging at him. She felt the same almost obsessive desperation rising within her, the need to know more. He was always so damn cryptic, even when they were together. He had never changed. "Angel, I just want to know. What could be so important that you have to come back?"

   "It doesn't matter." Once again, Angel's refusal to talk. 

"Damnit Angel!" She exclaimed. "For once, can't you tell that I need to know how you feel? Maybe this is why I'm still being hurt by everything that happened, because I never understood _why. _Because you never told me how you felt…you were always playing Mr-Cryptic Mysterious Guy. I never knew…whether you just stopped loving me, or what. And now you're coming back and I feel the same as I always did. I'm sick of not understanding!"

   "Buffy!" Angel snapped, finally losing his temper. It had always been the nature of their relationship that she would push him and play him up until he'd tell her that she'd gone too far. "That's enough. It's hard enough as it is without you behaving like a spoilt child!"

    Buffy felt bitterly ashamed. "I'm sorry, I just…it hurts so much, sometimes…" She whispered, silently pleading with him to understand.

"I know." Angel sighed, his voice immediately becoming gentler. "Buffy, I know I was never big with the words. And you do have a right to know why I'm coming back. Its just… if there's the slightest inkling you might be in danger, I feel like I have to be there, just to check that you're safe."

   "But why do you care?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.

He began to sound exasperated again. ""You know why, so why do you want me to say it?"

"I just do." She replied stubbornly, still needing to know that he still belonged to her.

She could almost hear him rolling his eyes on the other side of the phone. He hated talking about his feelings. The silence was tense.

    "Angel?" Buffy asked quietly, wondering if she'd pushed it too far.

Suddenly he exploded. "God, Buffy, I love you! Okay? Isn't it obvious? I love you _so _damn much_. And I couldn't survive without knowing that you're out there, somewhere, living. So even if you don't want it, you will always have my protection. And whatever else you think of me, you will always know that I would lay down my unlife for you in an instant if it kept you alive for just __one _more_ _second_. Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? Does that make you feel better?" He lowered his voice angrily. "I hope it's made it easier for you, because forcing myself to talk about it makes it a damn sight harder for me."_

   Buffy felt awful. What had come over her? She had a boyfriend, for God's sake! "I…that was selfish of me. I don't know what comes over me sometimes, I just…it's a struggle, knowing how far is too far, and what to say, how to act."

    Angel's voice sounded deeply frustrated as it came across the receiver. "Look, if it would make it easier for you Buffy…when I come back, we don't have to see each other."

    Buffy swallowed hard, and thought a minute. "Angel…please don't be mad. I know you never meant to hurt me... and I never meant to hurt you. We've been through this…I shouldn't have brought it up. I just can't help it some times. I'm sorry, really sorry."

  "I know." He understood her so well.

"Of course I want to see you. We always work together, the unbeatable team, right?" Buffy tried to make light of the situation. "It'll be fine."

"Good." Angel sounded relieved. "I want to see you, too. Well, I'm catching a night flight, and I'll be in Sunny D by eight o'clock Friday."

   "Oh!" Buffy remembered. "I'll be at the Bronze. I promised Will I'd go with her…why don't you come?"

  "I'm not sure…" Angel sounded doubtful.

"No, seriously!" Buffy nodded emphatically. "I'm sure everyone would be pleased to see you."

"Well, if you're sure…" Angel murmured. "I'd be honoured."

A sound on Angel's side of the phone had startled them both.

"What was that?" Buffy asked.

"It was Wes and Cordy coming back. I better go," Angel replied.

"Me too." Buffy said quietly.

"I'll see you Friday?" He asked, still checking if it was okay.  
"See you then." Buffy had thought for a moment, then decided to say it. "And Angel?"

""Yes?" 

"I love you too."

She had hung up the phone and cried for a while. Then she had decided to really try and be strong this week. No unnecessary outbursts, they were just embarrassing, anyway. She had a boyfriend; she had to think of Riley. She was determined.

"Buffy?" Willows voice broke into her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh Will, sorry, I guess I spaced out for a moment." Buffy sighed. "You're right. I'm probably just down because I'm tired and everything. Bronzing it will be a welcome relief."

    "See, what did I tell you?" Willow grinned. "It's gonna be a night full of creamy goodness. So, we'll swing by and pick you up in at about half eight?" She looked at her watch. "That gives you…45 minutes."

   "Yikes. And I'm still muddy from earlier, yech." Buffy looked at herself and pulled a face. "Well, I'll do my best to make myself look decent. See you then Will."

   "Bye Buff." 

Buffy hurried off to the shower, determined to have a carefree night and enjoy herself. It was just what she needed, she decided as she turned on the hot water. Yep, tonight was gonna be great…she hoped.

***

The guard whistled as he approached the boat. 

   "Hey Bert," He greeted the other guard. "I'm here, you can take off now if you want."

   "Really?" Bert replied.

  "Yeah, I know you wanna get home to Miranda. It's okay, looks like it's gonna be a quiet night anyway."

"Thanks Larry," replied Bert, clearly incredibly pleased. "Well all you gotta do is unload this ship from London. It's mainly parts for the museum, you know relics and stuff, but it's all in boxes." He jerked his thumb in the direction of a lorry in the corner of the yard by the dock. "You just load it all up in there. Pretty simple for tonight."

   "Sure," Larry smiled. "Take it easy Bert. Have a good weekend."

   "Okay. You too." Bert walked off, and then turned back quickly. "Sure you gonna be ok? You gonna be lonely?"

   "Na!" Larry shook his head fervently. "Got my newspaper and the radio to keep my company." He made a shooing gesture. "Get gone already!"

    When Bert was gone, Larry chuckled to himself. Silly kid.

   "Now what we got here?" He asked himself, going down the list of boxes on his clipboard as he opened the cargo door. He reached an arm in and fumbled for his flashlight with the other hand. "Stupid wooden crates. Why can't England use cardboard like everyone else? Always give me splinters," he grumbled, moving around blindly. He didn't notice a long leather-clad leg shoot out swiftly under his feet, all he noticed was the ground rushing up to meet him for a split second. He was out like a light.

Standing up and rearranging her clothing, she looked down onto the dockside. Biting her lip at the man sprawled on the floor in front of her, she raised an eyebrow, eyeing him critically.

   "Oh dear. Well, at least I did it neatly," she sighed. "I do hate messes. He shouldn't be out for long."

Shrugging, she looked back into the ship. "Solid ground under my feet! Now that will feel wonderful." She marvelled. Pausing only to grab a few books from the opened boxes around her and tossing them into her knapsack, she quickly jumped off the ledge onto the dock. 

    She quickly scanned her surroundings, then, when she was sure the coast was clear, stretched luxuriously. She hadn't had that much room to move in weeks. Now, how to get out of here. It seemed deserted, so she supposed her best bet was to just get out of the dock as quickly as possible.

   "I made it. " It hit her suddenly and she smiled in glee. "I actually made it." *Yeah, but you won't be able to stick around if he wakes up, will you?* She reminded herself. But she remained unfazed, and instead of feeling fearful, she felt light-headed and invincible because she was really here. Grinning, she threw one last look at the man before sprinting out of the dock and into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

****

A slow dance came on while the Dingoes were on their break and Buffy could feel Willow looking at her questioningly. She sighed inwardly. Angel wasn't here yet. And despite Willows assurances, Buffy felt, as she did pretty often recently, the third wheel, or fifth wheel, so to speak. Xander and Anya were already on the dance floor smooching away but Willow and Oz had gamely stayed with her to keep her company.

    Buffy raised her head and smiled at Willow. "Will, _please go and dance. Seriously," She added, catching the worried look in Willow's eyes. "I'll be fine on my own."_

   "Why don't you come with us?" asked Willow as she got up.

"Yeah, come on Buff!" Oz stretched out a hand to her. "Come and party. Oh yeah, I'm feeling this vibe." Oz faked joyous motions to the rap playing in the Bronze- not really his scene. Willows eyes were eager and Oz's smile good-natured, but Buffy still felt like too much of a tag-along.

   "Nah!" She feigned nonchalance. "I better stay put until Angel gets here- I'm sure that will be…soon." Eventually after much cajoling, Willow and Oz left and snuggled on the floor. As soon as they were gone, Buffy's bright smile faded, and she sighed. Buffy drummed her fingers on the table and pretended to be engrossed in her strawberry slushy, trying to ignore her mounting nerves and edginess. Angel, where are you? She wondered.

****

Okay, she told herself. This really was not in the plan. Okay, so she didn't really have much of a plan for when she actually _got_ to Sunnydale, except find him, but I mean, come on! Weren't some things supposed to get easier? She hadn't struggled all this way, managed to navigate herself through all different cities and hopped ship after ship to get lost in some little town! She marched around aimlessly for a while, trying not to draw attention to herself, and had nearly reached breaking point when she realised that the street she was walking down looked _very_ familiar…and she realised she had been walking in circles for nearly an hour.

   "AAAAH!" she screamed in frustration, and kicked the fire hydrant, the sound of her boot clanging against the metal reverberating around the empty street. "Won't someone cut me a fucking break! I'm going mad! And _why aren't there any bleedin' people around in this town to notice me going round the bend, anyway? It's like a ghost town, and the only signs of activity seem to be coming from the bloody Bronze that I'm conveniently outside again! What the hell is the "Bronze" anyway? Some sort of all night blacksmith's?"  Angrily babbling colourful expletives away to herself, she swung a left and walked down the alleyway. She decided to go straight on last time and opted not to go down the alley, so this time she'd make _sure_ she didn't end up outside this sodding place again._

    Stuffing her hands in her pockets, steam practically bursting from her ears, she walked along, until suddenly she stopped dead, sensing something behind her. Realising what, she stifled a sigh.

    "Great," she muttered, "Just great. The welcoming committee."

"Hey little girl," came the guttural voice from behind her. "You shouldn't be out alone at night."

Resignedly, she turned around to face them. Yep, just as she thought. Three vamps, already in full game face. Young fledglings by the looks of it.

    She crossed her arms across her chest and raised and eyebrow wearily. "Yes?"

  Taken aback, the vampire that had been talking looked at his fellow vamps with a puzzled expression. 

She rolled her eyes. Vamps were always stupid, wherever they were made. "Yes, I have seen your faces. And no, I'm not scared."

   "What?" Blankly they looked at her. They still totally didn't get it. Typical.

"Ok." She decided to play along. "What do you want?"

"Give us what's in your bag or die," The vampire growled.

"Ooh, straight to the point." She snickered, and then frowned suddenly. "Excuse me, are you trying to mug me? Exactly when did vampires start ripping people off as opposed to ripping out their throats? Is this some bent town or what?!"

   "Give us what is in your bag, or die, little girl. I am running out of patience!" The vampire stepped forward, trying to look menacing.

   Sighing again, she immediately dropped into fight stance, her legs apart and her knees slightly bent, with both fists raised and forward. She uncurled one of her fists and beckoned them, all with the same bored expression on her face. "Come on then."

    The vamp looked at her and chuckled, a low rumbling sound out of his throat as he glanced round at his friends. "Well it looks as though we will get dinner as well, my friends. I get her heart, though, remember."

  "Yeah, yeah, an icy cold chill of fear is shooting down my spine and all that," She interrupted. "D'you want to come and get my bag then? Conversation's getting boring."

    He growled in anger. At once, the two vampires on either side of the speaker rushed her. She batted one away easily with a back-hander, sending him flying into the Dumpster on her right. She dodged the second and pounded on him with a combination of left and right hooks before dropping to her feet and spinning on her heels. Lashing her foot out, she whipped not only his feet out from underneath him, but also the third vampire who at that moment had decided to leap into the fray. Before they could recover, she had leaped from her crouching position to on top of the Dumpster, and as the first vampire staggered to his feet she landed a swift roundhouse kick to the underside of his jaw, snapping his head back. His fangs had bitten through his own lip, such was the force of her kick, and, blood dripping from his teeth, he lunged at her. From out of nowhere she tossed a stake up and plunged it through his heart. He exploded into dust over his two friends as she flipped over their heads and landed in between them. "One down," she crowed, crossing a left uppercut to the side of the right vampire's chin and hearing the crack as she broke his jaw, then dodging a punch from the speaker, who was now on her left, "Two to go."

****

Angel hurried along the street. Not far 'til the Bronze now, he told himself, more then a little nervous about seeing Buffy again. I hope I'm doing the right thing, he thought, I hope this won't hurt her…. Suddenly he scowled. To hell with doing the right thing. He _needed_ her, so badly too, and it was enough he couldn't be with her. He was going to see her. But he was already late. Suddenly the scent of blood pricked at his nostrils and he sniffed the air. Undead blood, he identified and…human blood? Only, this was powerful, enticing... But it wasn't Buffy, he knew her scent well. His sharp ears caught up the sound of a fight coming from the alleyway and he knew if the human wasn't Buffy, then someone could be in trouble. But it _wasn't_ Buffy, so he didn't need to concern himself with it. After all, he had done his good deed for the week, and he really was rudely late…he started past the alleyway, but then stopped and sighed. It was no good, he couldn't just leave it, and he chided himself at once for his selfishness and the thought that he shouldn't help out. He had to help out, and his needs would have to wait.

     Quickly he turned and jogged down the alleyway, only to be stopped in his tracks once more. A tall girl with waves of long dark hair whirling around her shoulders and dressed head to toe in black, a long leather coat and leather trousers was a flurry of motion between two vamps. For a moment he was transfixed with pleasure at how well she fought- gracefully and powerfully, flawlessly. He snapped back quickly. But then again, she was only human, and she wasn't Buffy, so the fight must have just started. She wouldn't be able to hold up for long. He sprinted up and threw one of the vampires off, snapping it's neck from behind. His intervention startled the girl and she paused long enough for the other vampire to grab her by the neck and throw her against the wall. Angel made a move to save her, and grabbed the vamp as it prepared to run to her and finish the job. Just as his fingers closed around the vampire's shoulders, he felt them turn to dust under his fingers, a shard of wood embedded in his heart. The girl leaned against the wall and sighed, not seeming at all surprised or pleased with herself for the deadly accuracy of her throw. Looking at the girl in amazement, Angel wiped his fingers on his coat, and made a move towards her. " Are you okay?"

   To his surprise, she scowled at him. "You bloody idiot! You could have got me killed, what the hell were you doing?" Her eyes narrowed as suddenly she took him in properly. "Wait a minute," she breathed. "You're…" No sooner had the words escaped her mouth, she pounced on him and had him pinned beneath her before he could blink. "You're a vampire!"

   Angel struggled beneath her. "No I'm not."

She snorted. "Yeah. Ever heard of Slayers? They got this freaky sense that can tell the dead from the living. Funny that."

   "What?" Angel gasped. "You're a Slayer?"

"Not _a Slayer" She corrected, looking at him as if he had the IQ of a 3 year old. "__The Slayer. You just figured that out? And I thought vampires in England were slow."_

   "How can you be the Slayer? There's already one." Angel could feel a sweat breaking out on his cold skin. If she didn't believe him then…he would be dust in a matter of minutes. This slayer was not to be taken lightly. He didn't know if he'd ever seen one as powerful. Not even Buffy. She didn't hang about, either.

    "Oh, you mean Faith? She died, so I was called." She frowned down at him. "Why were you killing the vampires anyway?  Isn't that like a code between you guys? Not as if you should make anymore enemies."

   Angel tried another tack. "Why do you care anyway? Since you've already got me down as one of them."

   She shrugged. "Just thought I might get something interesting out of you, since I'm gonna dust you in a minute anyway," She remarked pleasantly.

   "Look. I'm a vampire. I lied about that. But I've got a soul, which is why I was helping you. And there is another slayer, the original slayer from around here. Buffy." Angel tried desperately.

  "A soul?" she grinned. "Okay then. That was quite entertaining, well done. Shame it was probably a turf war or something and that's why you whaled on them. Or maybe you were just hungry, eh?"

   "I have got a soul!" Angel yelled, frantically trying to get up, but it was no use, she had him pinned so that he could move neither his arms nor legs. "Look, my name's Angel, and before, when I was a demon, I was Angelus. _He_ would have definitely eaten you for dinner, and other things too. _He_ was capable of atrocities you've never even dreamed of. But _I'm not!"_

   Her eyes narrowed with comprehension. "Angel? I've heard of him. In the watcher diaries. And in the Sahoffreen Legacies- the vampire searching for redemption, cursed by the…Romany tribe."

    "Yes!" Angel nodded. "I'm telling the truth."

  "Unless you just read the same books as me." She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

***

Buffy was getting very frustrated. That's it, she thought. I'm going to go and look for him. Maybe, if he's lucky, something bad has happened to him and that way I won't have to kill him for being so damn late!

  Not as if anyone will notice anyway. She had been alone at her table for nearly an hour. Pushing her stool back she grabbed her coat and walked out of the Bronze, wondering when exactly she would actually have a good night out.

     Well, at least it can't get any worse, she told herself as she rounded the corner of the alleyway. Then, as her jaw dropped in shock, taking in the brunette straddling her ex-boyfriend, she thought dazedly, okay. I _so s_hould've knocked on wood before thinking that.


	3. Chapter3

***

"What the fuck is going on here?" Buffy shouted, her hands on her hips.

Angel turned his head to the side and thought, although the tiny blonde slayer did not exactly look happy, he had never been happier to see anyone in his life.

    "Buffy, thank god." He said, sighing in relief.

"Thank God?" She screamed, feeling a wave of jealousy so strong it felt like she was being stabbed. She marched over. "You absolute bastard!"

The girl remained motionless, totally puzzled. "Huh?" This town just gets weirder and weirder.

Buffy, totally outraged by the lack even of an apology, blinded by anger and tears, yanked the brunette up by her hair and shoved her away.

   "Hey!" The girl protested angrily, grabbing Buffy by her shoulders. "What d'you think you're doing?"

"This." Buffy punched Angel, a hard punch in the jaw and his head slammed against the pavement.

The girl let out an exasperated sigh. "Look calm down, you don't really wanna get him all hot and bothered, he'll eat little girls like you for lunch." She meant it in a literal sense of course, but Buffy didn't take it like that. "Just step away from him," the girl said in a soothing voice, taking Buffy's arm. She really didn't want the vamp to go for this civilian, who was probably drunk or something. Buffy snapped. 

   "_Eat_ me? What like he's _eaten_ you, you _bitch!" she screamed, and shaking the girl off and backhanding her. "He was mine!"_

 Jolts of pain zinged up the girls jaw line, along with the puzzle of how a human punch had hurt her. But she had the quicker then lightning reflexes of a Slayer and before Buffy's fist had even moved away from her the girl had landed a solid punch against Buffy's temple. 

   Angel could see what was going to happen and quickly got up, wanting to explain what had happened.

Buffy was totally stunned, reeling back from the impact of the punch. The girl began to circle her warily, not wanting to injure a civilian.

    Thinking that the girl wanted to fight more, Buffy, wriggling her jaw around, began to pace around the girl as well.

   Both of their faces were masks of anger. "Okay, STOP!" Angel stepped in the middle. "This is ridiculous."

   "What's ridiculous is that you're still alive and I'm fighting this girl for your honour or something instead of staking you like I should have," snapped the girl.

   Seeing he would get nowhere with her, he quickly turned to face Buffy. "Buffy." Angel looked imploringly at her. "You've got it all wrong."

"No, Angel, *you're* _wrong._ We'll deal with you and your lies about how "we couldn't possibly" and "I have a soul" and "I must stay away from you and ruin your life so that you will somehow be happy!"" she mimicked him, putting on a pathetic whining voice. But there was no humour contained in her tone, it was cold. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Now shut up Angel, and get out of my way," She spat angrily, and tried to shove him aside.

"No, please, you have to listen to me-"

"Angel? Soul?" The girl lowered her fists a fraction, and Buffy and Angel turned to face her.

"Yes," Angel breathed. "Yes."

She sighed, dropping her fists so they were unballed and hung limply at her side. "Does he have a soul?" She asked Buffy.

Buffy was puzzled. "Yes…why? What?"

Angel threw up his hands wearily. "Okay, I'm gonna do introductions, if you would just _listen for a minute," he said pointedly to Buffy._

   "Buffy, I came down this alleyway to help this girl because I believed she was being attacked. When I got her, I saw her single-handedly take out two vamps, because she'd already dusted a third. Then, because she could sense I was a vampire, she pounced on me. I was about this close-" Angel illustrated with a tiny gap between his thumb and forefinger, "To being staked when you walked round the corner and all hell broke loose. She, and I don't blame her for reacting like this, as demons are all notorious liars, did not believe I had a soul."

   Buffy struggled to take all of this information in. "But…how could she tell you were…?"

Angel looked at her and smiled slightly. "She's a Slayer, like you."

Buffy looked at her slowly, and addressed her directly for the first time. "But…how?"

"Faith died." She said simply. "I was called."

"Faith died?" Buffy exhaled and raised her eyebrows, not really sure how she felt. "God…how?"

"Well, I'm not sure. But from what I could make out," She continued, "Faith got drunk and came across a nest of vampires. Instead of waiting, she waded right in. She was no match for them. No one would tell me much, but I heard someone say it was…carnage." She finished quietly, staring at the ground.

Buffy's pricked up at the mention of "someone." "Are you with the council?" Buffy asked cautiously.  
"Are you?" She replied, equally as cautiously.

"No, I'm not." Buffy stuck her chin out defiantly, preparing inwardly for another fight.

She was surprised when a huge smile split the girl's face. "Thank bloody God. I'm not either, in fact, I've been on the run from them for the past couple of months. I had to hop on and off about a thousand ships to get here."

"Why here?" Buffy asked, not rudely, just curiously. 

"Well for a start, it's the Hellmouth, and generally where the Slayer is needed…" She grinned again. "But most importantly, my uncle lives here."

"Oh, I see." Buffy replied non- committally, but inside she was thinking- not another Faith, please….

"Wait a minute," Angel said suddenly. "We don't even know your name."

"How rude of me," The girl replied, at once seeming very polite and very English. "Leia. Leia Laurence."

Angel nodded amiably. "Angel. Not much call for a last name."

She smiled. "Yeah, I get that." Leia looked over at Buffy. "Buffy…?" 

"Summers." Buffy just looked at her.

Leia couldn't figure out why she seemed less then friendly. "Well, I guess I better be…on my way." She started to walk away from the two of them. "Nice meeting you two."

   "Bye," said Buffy.

Angel looked at her, astonished. "Huh?" Casting a confused glance at Buffy, he followed after Leia. "Wait. You and Buffy are both Slayers. Don't you think you should stick around? You should meet her Watcher and everything. It's obvious you're gonna be working together."

   Leia thought about it for a moment, "Well, um. I don't want to impose."

Buffy couldn't be bothered with any of the girls false politeness. "Whatever. We take you to my watcher, he'll know what to do about the two Slayer thing. Then we can figure out where you go." Buffy stalked off down the alley in front of them. Angel followed. Leia stood there for a moment, not really sure what to do. Buffy turned around, her face like stone. "Coming?"

   Without waiting to hear Leia's answer, she strode off. Friendly. "Sure," mumbled Leia, following.

***

Rupert Giles sat on his couch, a mug of untouched tea beside him. He was poring over some scrolls that he had, um, borrowed from a ship in the docks that night. He had gone to the docks to intercept the guard before he loaded the van and took the delivery to the museum, only to find the cargo hold already open with the guard unconscious on the floor. Rupert thought maybe he should get some help, but then the Ripper in him reminded him why he was there and that alerting people to his presence might not be sensible. So regretfully he took what he needed from the ship and scarpered. Now he was frowning down at the scroll. It didn't make sense, because part of it was missing. The scrolls of the Elkean people were thought to have been lost years ago. However, Angel had told him that the Council had found them and were sending them through Sunnydale to their base up in Los Angeles. He knew the prophecies were thought to have been predicting what would happen a couple of years from now, but he had always had a hunch that they were for this year. He also had a sneaking suspicion that they were the key to figuring out the increased demonic activity in Sunnydale over the past few weeks. The frustrating part was that the scrolls came in 4 parts, 3 of which he had. But the third, containing the other half of this year, was gone. 

    Now he was struggling to make sense of the 4th part without the 3rd. "Bloody hell," he muttered. "Something always goes wrong." He reached for his tea absentmindedly while translating the third passage on the scroll through a magnifying glass. "Kucharawa, becomes, ogneefor, chosen, fuiesse, to be, sangluoo, one, chosen to become one of…"he peered at the word. "deucondai. The second tribe?" He rubbed his eyes in exasperation. "This doesn't make sense. " Giles sipped his tea. It was stone cold, he pulled a face. "Hmm. Unless, of course!" his eyes widened in recognition. "The structures wrong. Fuiesse is the future, will be, and as it's a genitive clause…so the sentence should read: The chosen one will become a secondary tribe." His brow furrowed in confusion. "No, that can't be right." Taking a gulp of the cold tea, he jumped as the doorbell rang and spat it out on his shirt. "Shit!" Giles quickly grabbed some tissues and mopped it up with one hand, opening the door with the other.

   "Giles," Buffy pushed past him. "We've got some interesting news."

"Hello Buffy," said Giles in surprise, and then as his eyes moved past her his gaze fell on…the cloth dropped from his fingers.

***

Agitatedly, Buffy threw off her coat. She couldn't believe this was happening to her _again. The whole, new slayer in town, already taking over her life thing. Déjà vu! Angel had seemed mesmerised by Leia all the way to Giles's, asking how she had managed to get over to Sunnydale in the first place. She wasn't like Faith in the fact that she didn't boast about it. But this whole "modesty" thing, PLEASE. It was even __more annoying then Faith's "I-am-Gods-Gift-to-Slaying" gag._

   She realised that Giles hadn't followed her through into the living room. Exasperatedly, she moved out into the hall, only to see the colour drain from Giles's face. Angel was walking through the door, unaware of it, but Leia was standing where she was, staring at Giles intently.

   "What the-" Buffy started, but Giles interrupted her.

   "Leia?" He whispered, reaching out slowly, and then snatching his hand back. "No. It…it can't be." He turned to look at Buffy. "Buffy, who is this?"

   Leia fidgeted with her hands. ""She" is Leia."

He stared at her again, amazed, his eyes huge. "They told me you were dead." 

Leia shook her head, a tear flying from the corner of her eye. "I thought I was. They…they wouldn't let me go, and they wouldn't let me talk to anyone. I was just…alone."

   "Oh God, Leia." At once Giles forward and threw his arms around her, crushing her to him. "Oh God, if I had known…"

   "I had to find you. I knew that if I could just get to you, it would all be okay. That was the thing that kept me going. I was just a girl, and…I'm okay. I found you." She started to cry.

    "I'm not letting them come near you again." They stood for a moment, hugging each other. Buffy and Angel stood side by side, watching them for a moment, completely mystified.

   Giles suddenly seemed to remember that they were there. He looked up at them. "We have a lot to talk about."


	4. Chapter 4

****

About half an hour later, Leia had calmed down enough to talk and she, Buffy, Angel and Giles were all sitting in the den.

    Buffy observed Leia carefully. She didn't know what to think now. Leia had seemed so strong, much like Faith had. But now she was sitting wrapped up in a blanket, she looked very young and vulnerable. Her strength had collapsed like Faith's after the murder. Was she unbalanced as well? Who are you? Buffy wondered.

    Giles cleared his throat. "I suppose you're wondering what that was all about."

Buffy nodded. "Kinda."

  He took a deep breath. "Okay. I shouldn't have kept you in the dark about this but I didn't really want to talk about that particular episode of my life. It was something I wanted to keep well buried. 

   I never told you about my brother David, did I?"

  Buffy and Angel both shook their heads. "I didn't know you had a brother," Buffy offered, still not any the wiser to what was going on.

   "That's because I don't. Not anymore, anyway." He rubbed his forehead hard, and then looked over at Leia. "Are you alright for me to talk about this?"

   She nodded, drawing her knees up to her chest.

He looked at her for a moment and then carried on. "We both wanted to be Watchers. David had a very large chip of his shoulder because I was my grandmothers favourite, and because of that, I was admitted into the Council a lot quicker then David.  Of course, I liked to say it was because of my brains, but I think it actually _was because of her. I was still cleverer then him anyway, he was a pretty thick sod. _

    Eventually we were both in the service and spent most of our time studying. I fell in with Ethan Rayne, as you know, in my early twenties. David envied me that. I could never understand why, of course. But nevertheless, he did. He envied my freedom, the way that I had been effortlessly been admitted into Ethan's inner circle and he had not. We had a terrible argument and he accused me of always competing with him. He actually said that I enjoyed rubbing it in his face that I was the better brother." Giles sighed heavily. "It was nonsense. Of course we were competitive, as any brothers were, but, not that this was a good thing, I was actually far too arrogant to consider him any sort of real competition at all, at that time in my life." He gave a wry smile. "We pretty much avoided each other after that. The next time I saw him was a few years later, when we went to the Watchers Order. This was quite an important day for us, because it would tell us where in line we were for the Slayer." He looked over at Buffy. "It's sort of like a register, and you're all placed, first in class order (how old you are), and then within that, in order of how good they think you are. The nearer the top you are, the nearer you are to having a Slayer. David was furious, because although I had been dallying, I was still far, far, nearer the front then he was. That day, he declared to me," Giles gritted his teeth, "That he would be further forward then I would ever be, and soon. I didn't really understand what he meant. Then, a few months later, his wife, Helen, gave birth to a baby daughter." His eyes rested on Leia.

   Buffy looked over and gave a sound of understanding. "Oh…Leia's your niece?"

   Giles nodded. "Yes. I actually didn't ever meet her until she was 4 years old. I had to baby sit because David and Helen were required to go to some function." He swallowed hard. "If I had known what exactly that function was, I never would have babysat, actually. But I did. And I did once every two nights after that. Soon, obviously, I was completely attached to Leia. But I also realised one thing. She wasn't used to affection. Helen was an ice cold fish if I ever saw one, and David well…he spoke to her in the manner a sergeant would speak to his troops. Totally formal, and most of the time ordering her about. However soon, when he saw me around her, he started to get the old jealousy again. Leia would run to me as soon as I walked through the door and she wouldn't leave my arms until I left. This time David thought I was trying to out do him as a dad aswell. He had no idea what love meant and that was all it was between me and Leia, not some competition. 

    When she was 11, I found out exactly what her and her father DID used to do together. David brought me proudly downstairs and showed me what was in their basement. A fully equipped gym. David was training her every day for three or four hours. I didn't really understand why, and stupidly, I didn't read the signs. Eventually, David couldn't hold it in any more. He announced that Leia was a Slayer, and that he was going to give her to the council in a few months where she would stay until she was called. "Just imagine, a Slayer in the family!" he crowed. Then he looked over at me with triumph in my eyes. "MY daughter." I was absolutely aghast. I begged him not to give her away, thinking how frightened she would be, but also, selfishly, thinking how absolutely devastated I would be if he took her away from me. Soon David realised I wasn't happy at all and began to get nasty. He limited my visits. Helen didn't care about Leia and if she was given away and made not to see her family again. I was the only one that seemed to see the atrocity of the situation. It was so inhumane, but that is how Slayers can be treated, Buffy." He looked at her, with seriousness in his eyes. 

   "I'm sorry, Giles," Buffy took his hand, hating the strength of the pain in his voice. She wished she could pummel whoever had made him feel like this, like she always did…but she knew that it would take a lot more then her physical strength for Giles to battle his inner demons. 

    He nodded, a lump forming in his throat. "I tried and tried to think of a way to prevent it happening. I pulled as many strings as I could at the council. I could do nothing. And my heart was breaking, because Leia had no idea. Finally, the last time I ever saw her. I still remember it. I came over as I always did, except this time, David and Helen didn't go out. "Didn't want you to miss this, Rupe," said David, a cruel glint in his eyes. I didn't understand what he meant. Suddenly a knock came at the door and in came the Council men."

   "I remember this," Leia interjected softly. Her eyes were full of pain.

He put an arm around Leia's shoulders. "Leia was of course, sitting on my lap at the time. At once, I knew what was going on. "No," I said, shaking my head. "David, you wouldn't."

 "Rupert, it's done." He snapped. "Just because I have what you could never have. A slayer." He still thought that was what it was all about! 

"This is your daughter," I pleaded. "And my niece. Don't give her away; don't take her away from me." 

He laughed. "Me, me, me." David's eyes hardened. "That's all you think about, isn't it Rupe? Well this time, it's about me. MY daughter, MY decision." He held out his arms. "Come on, Leia. You're going on a little trip." 

You turned to look at me, Leia, and I thought I was going to die. 

"I don't want to go, Uncle Rupert. Are you coming?" You asked me. 

"No darling," I told you. "I can't come." 

You started to cry. "I don't want to go without you." 

"Oh come along Leia," said David, angry that you were disobeying him. "Get up." He tried to grab you from me and you clung on. He tugged at you and you squealed in pain and that made me incredibly angry. 

"You're hurting her!" I yelled. "Let go, you bastard." I shoved him away and he crashed into the wall. The councilmen surrounded me and I picked you up, cradling you to my chest. 

"You're not taking her anywhere." I said, trying to calm you down." Giles gritted his teeth again. "And that was the last time I saw you."

   "What happened?" Buffy asked, her own eyes moist. 

Giles sighed. "One of the council men hit me over the head, knocked me out. When I came to, I was in David's front room and you were gone. I asked where you were, and-" Giles voice broke. "David told me you were dead."

   "Oh my god," Buffy gasped. "Oh Giles." She looked at Leia. "Leia. I am so, so sorry. That is just awful."

Angel looked sympathetic. "It must have been hell for you, Giles. What happened next, for both of you?"

"As for me, I sunk into depression for a long time. I never saw David again, and told him, as far as I was concerned, I had no brother." Giles smiled slightly at some memory, but quickly coughed and covered it up. "That was about it."

   Buffy looked sceptical. "Yeah, right. No offence Giles, but I know that face. What are you hiding?"

 Angel glanced at Buffy and, smirking slightly, nodded. "Yeah. The Ripper didn't go for revenge?"

Looking up at both of their knowing expressions, Giles held his hands up, glad for the light tone they had added. "Okay, okay. You know the Ripper's habits and me too well. Very well. My strings at the council couldn't find out what had become of Leia," He hurried on, not wanting to remind himself again of the painful memory, and his voice lowered evilly. "But they could get David thrown out of the council. Incidentally, that was also the last time I accepted help from Ethan." He smiled wickedly, then cleared his throat when he looked at Leia. "Anyway, it's all in the past-"

    "Hold it Rupe." Leia raised her eyebrows at Giles, some of the fiery sprit she had shown earlier kicking in. "How did you do that?"

   "Leia, I'm sorry. It was a completely foolish and immature thing to do, that was your father and I should have respected-" Giles started, taking his glasses off and cleaning them agitatedly.

   She held her hand up. "Yada, yada, yada Unc. I don't care about him. He more then deserved it, I'm just interested."

     "Well, then…"Still embarrassed, Giles put his glasses on. "I knew that if he stayed near me, I would kill him." He looked at Leia seriously. "In all honesty, that was the biggest reason. Another was I knew that to strip him of his beloved title as part of the council would be the only thing that could make him feel close to what I was feeling. Buffy, Angel, you know about Eyghon. You probably wouldn't know this, Leia, but Eyghon, a vicious demon, was raised when I was in my early twenties and-"

   "Hell yeah!" Leia nodded emphatically. "I read all about that."

A pleased expression flitted across Giles's face. "You…read?" She nodded, and he seemed to remember what he was saying. "Anyway," He continued. "No-one knew who did it, but you'll be aware of the havoc he wreaked. It was an embarrassment to the Council when they found evidence it was one of their very own who had raised it."

   "You?" Leia raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Giles nodded. "Yes, it was me. Me and Ethan and some of our gang at that time. But they had no proof to who it was, save the evidence pointing towards the members of the council. It could have been any of us. The Council elders desperately wanted to find out who it was, but to no avail. Until, after your disappearance, I decided to make a confession."

   "You told them it was you?" Leia exclaimed.

A smirk escaped onto Giles's face, who was unable to hide his satisfaction for a moment. "No. It was one of my more devious deeds. Along with Ethan, I went to confess that I was there, but I could protect my brother and his wickedness no longer."

   There was a silence as they digested this.

"Giles, that's evil," breathed Buffy. "Not that the jerk didn't deserve it." She looked at Leia. "Sorry."

"No worries. He did. If anyone knows that, it's me." Leia replied. Her eyes met Giles's. "So what happened?"

Giles began cleaning his glasses again. "They were exiled from England." He saw disbelief pass across Angel's face. "Believe me, its true. You cannot begin to imagine the power of the Council. Never underestimate them." He sighed. "So that's me finished. I was a wreck for a long time. The Council assigned me here and I managed to get back on my feet, repressing those feelings and memories deep down inside myself. " He managed a smile. "Now you understand just why I'm so protective of you sometimes, Buffy."

    "Do I ever," Buffy replied, still trying to come to terms with all that had happened this evening.

"Now, darling," Giles said, looking at Leia, "It's your turn."

She stared down at her hands for a long time, fidgeting. Finally, Leia spoke, keeping her eyes fixed on her hands. "I can't remember too much of what happened straight after I left, apart from someone taking me by the shoulders and shaking and shaking me because I wouldn't stop crying. My home for the next few years was a little room, with white walls, white tiles on the floor, and no windows. A white bed. A white table. Everything was white, it was kind of like being in a hospital." She swallowed down a lump in her throat and slowly, she carried on. "I wouldn't talk to anyone. This made them angry, because they wanted to do tests on me or whatever. I was assigned a watcher, and eventually, out of loneliness, I began to talk to him. He wasn't bad. It wasn't so much that they treated me badly, its just…they didn't treat me like _anything. It was like I was some sort of freak, a machine. I got meals, orders, and clothes. No comfort, and no love. No affection. I was allowed no contact with the outside world. When I reached 14, the training stopped, and they started bringing in real demons for me to fight. I was scared sometimes, too, about some of the things I saw, but I had no one to talk to. I used to read anything I could get my hands on, you know, it was like comfort. Things carried on pretty much like that until a couple of months ago. I started to hear my watcher and the other council blokes talking. I could only catch snatches of the conversation, but soon I put the pieces together. They said Faith had died. It was my time, but I would have to be taken to Sunnydale carefully, after the attack. One of them asked, What about Rupert? Isn't she his niece? As soon as I heard your name it was like my heart stopped beating. Then another replied, Leia will be taken there after the attack. It's coming, soon, and we'll make some sort of deal with the demons to make sure Giles won't survive it, and Leia can pick up the pieces and rebuild what's left. She'll have to be monitored carefully though- the whole operation will have to move with her." For the first time since she had begun speaking, she brought her eyes up to meet the three sitting around her. Her eyes were clear and strong. "I pulled myself together. For the longest time, it was like I was defeated, broken. But I had gone so far inside myself that they hadn't really ever touched me. I knew if I could just get out of there, I could find you. And now that I was going to move, it really wasn't that hard. You see, they really thought they had broken me. I was compliant and followed orders. But now all the time I had this hope growing inside me and it made me so strong. Finally, after eaves dropping for what seemed like weeks, I got my break. I heard that I was going to be taken in a van to a castle to fight the next demon. The council was planning to see if I had what it took to fight in the wilderness, not inside the rooms of the base that I lived in. If I faced up to this demon then it would be fine, and they'd know I was ready for Sunnydale. If not, then they'd let it kill me."_

   "You actually heard them say that?" Giles asked, his fists clenching.

She snorted mirthlessly. "Yes. I knew what they were capable of. It was good that I was scared, because the fear made me stronger. And I had a plan. 

    I was to be taken there and the rest of the company would arrive a few hours later. When they took me to the van, I didn't struggle at all. I pretended to be asleep, but all the time I was waiting carefully for the right moment. At last it came. A deer ran across the road and the van swerved to avoid it. All the councilmen in the back with me were distracted. I took that moment."

    "What did you do?" asked Buffy. This sounded very familiar…

"I kicked the driver on the back of the head and knocked him out. Then, as the van swerved over onto one side, I banged two of their heads together and bashed the remaining guy over the head with my chains." Leia shook her head. "Really, you'd think with a slayer they'd put more then four guys in with her. But I really had them fooled."

   And you've got everyone else here fooled as well, thought Buffy, looking around at Angel and Giles's rapt faces. Buffy's hunch was right, she was just like Faith. "So what, you just killed them?" she asked.

   "No!" Leia exclaimed quickly. "No. I didn't want to do that. I just knocked them out, that's all."

 "But how could you be sure?" Buffy persisted. "You could have killed them. You really should have been more careful-"

   "Buffy!" Giles interrupted, surprised. "What are you talking about?"

Buffy opened her mouth, and then looked at Giles, surprised. She really didn't want to shatter his illusions. "Nothing."

   "Buffy," Leia said earnestly, "I made sure they were fine. I checked their pulses."

Buffy didn't answer. After a moment, Angel picked up the conversation. "So what next?"

 "I just sprinted out the door. I've never run so fast or so hard in my life. I didn't even really know where I was going, I just wanted to put as much distance between them and myself as I could, and I knew if I was caught….I didn't want to think about what might happen. Eventually I found my way to the dock, and after hiding for a couple of hours, and ship came in. I hopped in the cargo hold, and it took me to Milan. It was the first in a line of cities." She laughed. "I actually didn't think I was gonna make it. I only travelled at night, and I couldn't believe my luck when I heard there was a ship going straight to Sunnydale. I hid myself in a box and got on board. That must've been a couple days ago. And now I'm here."

   "You got here on a ship?" Giles asked, frowning. He looked at her curiously. "Am I right in thinking you had something to do with the wide open cargo hold on that ship at the docks earlier and the unconscious guard?"

   Leia bit her lip. "Maybe…but I really couldn't avoid hitting him. He was gonna catch me."

Buffy, eager to change the subject, uneasy by the amount of people Leia had rendered unconscious, or probably dead, asked "What were you doing down at the docks Giles?"

Giles nodded at Angel. "Angel's tip-off about the scrolls was correct. They came in today. Apart from being intrigued by them- the Elkean scrolls were long ago thought to be lost, and I was already going to get them for Angel, after our phone conversation earlier I also though they may help with your worry about the increase of demonic activity around here. I went down to um, borrow them."

   "Rupe! You're just as bad as me." Leia grinned. 

"Ah, don't even try that." He wagged a finger at her.

"Did you get them?" Buffy asked.

Giles indicated to the three scrolls on the table. "There were supposed to be four, but it was gone when I got there. Maybe they only found three."

   "Or maybe," interjected Leia, opening her knapsack, "You just don't know where to look." With a smile, she pulled out the missing scroll and handed it to him. 

  Giles looked at her, speechless. "Why did you take that?"

"Well, I must've had the same thought as you." She shrugged. "I heard about this "coming" from the Council. I figured the third Elkean scroll would cover this part of the year, so I thought I'd read it and see if I could learn anything."

    Giles swallowed the lump in his throat. What a talented and accomplished young woman she had become. "I can't believe you're really here." He reached a hand out and cupped her chin.

   "Me neither." She smiled and hugged him, hard.

Buffy looked over at Angel to see him smiling goofily, not something he did often. "It's nice, isn't it?" he whispered. Buffy just nodded. He looked at her strangely, and she tried to cover up how she was feeling. Angel could always read her like a book. 

    His brown eyes were concerned and puzzled. Angel leant over and took her hand, and the feeling of his long fingers entwining with hers sent a sharp, unwanted shiver up her spine, as well as the feeling of immense comfort. She was safe, Angel was here. She blinked, forcing the feelings away.

   "Buffy, what's going on-" He asked softly.

"Nothing" she replied, hastily forcing a smile on her face. "I'm fine." She wrenched her hand away and Angel flinched back like he'd been burnt.

   Buffy didn't notice, she was simply overwhelmed with disbelief. Was she the only one not completely freaked out by this girl's similarity to Faith?

***

After a little while of discussing the scrolls and what they could mean, Buffy felt her eyelids were extremely heavy.

   "You look tired," Giles remarked softly, looking up at Buffy. "You too, Leia." In fact, Leia's eyes were already closed.

   "Yes, we better go," said Buffy, getting on and putting her jacket on, eager to get out of there.

Leia yawned and opened her eyes. Stretching, she asked, "So am I just kipping on the couch then Rupe?" to Giles.

Giles shook his head. "No, you're taking my bed. You look like you could use a decent…" His voice trailed off and his brow furrowed.

   "Well, we'll just get out of your way," Buffy finished for him, and began to walk towards the door, motioning for Angel to follow.

"Wait! Buffy…" His voice took on a worried tone. "Wait…" He turned to Leia. "Leia. I don't think you should stay here."

   Leia looked bewildered and opened her mouth to speak when Giles hurried on. "I don't think it's safe. The first place the Council would look for you is here…it's the obvious choice. It's too dangerous, and too risky." He looked up at Buffy. "Buffy, I would hate to impose on you but… do you think it would be okay for Leia to stay with you for the time being?"

Buffy opened her mouth, and then it again like a fish. She was speechless. Finally, she managed, "Uh, I don't know…"Her voice trailed off doubtfully, as she glanced at Leia. Giles looked crestfallen, and pushed his glasses higher up his nose, his expression bewildered and anxious. Buffy sighed, a pang in her chest. She just couldn't hurt Giles. Pushing her personal feelings aside quickly, she concluded, lamely, "I guess it would be okay."

    Giles's face creased into a smile, and then another expression of worry flashed across his face, followed by one of trepidation. "No, you're quite right to be cautious, Buffy. The proper thing to do would be to phone your mother, and explain. I should ask her permission." He jumped up and hurried to the phone, punching in her digits in quick succession.

     "No-" started Buffy, then shook her head. What was the use? This girl was obviously going to be forced on her, and there was nothing she could do about it. She would be forced to relive the Faith incident. Sighing in disgust, she knotted her fingers together and waited for Giles to come off the phone.

    "Buffy," Leia broke the silence. "Honestly, I really don't want to impose…if it's not cool for me to stay at yours I really will understand…"

   Buffy looked up just as Giles finished, "Thanks Joyce. I really appreciate it."

  "Looks like my Mom says its fine. That means its fine." Buffy said tonelessly.

Giles smiled wearily as he turned to face them. "Well, that's sorted for now girls. I really think you should get some rest, Leia," He smiled tiredly but affectionately at his niece, "And I'll see you tomorrow." He sighed. "I really just…I can't believe this has really happened."

   "Life certainly is amazing," Angel remarked as Buffy, himself and Leia walked towards the door.

"That's one way of describing it," Buffy grumbled.

Leia gave Giles one last hug. "I can't believe I'm letting you out of my sight again," He told her, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. "But it's all for the best. Are you okay?"

   "I'm fine." Leia nodded. "Seriously. I'm a big girl now… I can take care of myself."

"I know." Giles swallowed. "We have so much to catch up on. I…well, you will be safe at Buffy's. And if you need anything, _anything, you call me, okay?"_

   "I will." She smiled. Buffy sighed impatiently by the door, a loud, exasperated breath. Leia raised her eyebrows. "Oops," she said. "I better be going."

"Yes, quite. Goodnight." He raised his voice, calling after them as they walked out the door. "Goodnight Buffy, and thank you! 'Night Angel!"


	5. Chapter 5

***

A while later, Leia lay in exhaustion on a comfortable, soft bed in the spare room of the Summers house. She sighed. Joyce had been great, really warm and friendly, and attentive. Motherly, she thought wistfully. She had asked if Leia was hungry, willing to cook her something, fetched her a drink, and taken her to her room.

    At that moment she popped her head around the door. "I've brought you some clean towels, honey." Joyce put them at the foot of her bed. "Are you okay? Sure you're not hungry?"

   Leia smiled. "I'm sure. I'm just tired," she admitted. "Thanks again for letting me stay here, it's so kind of you."

"Oh!" Joyce patted her arm. "Don't even think of it." Smiling, she got up, and then her eyes fell on Leia's discarded boots and leather jacket. "How silly of me. You need something to sleep in! Buffy?" she called.

   "Yeah, mom?" Buffy replied from her room. 

 "Leia doesn't have anything to sleep in. Can you bring her one of your nightshirts please?" Joyce requested, and turned to Leia again. "So you sure you're fine?"

   "I'm good." Leia nodded, appreciation bubbling in her.

"Okay then, I'll leave you to get some rest. Heavens, you must need it, after your journey." She exited the room, and reminded her over her shoulder. "If you need anything, just holler."

 "Thank you," Leia said gratefully. Leaning back on the pillows, she closed her eyes for a moment. She was dozing off when a thud at her feet jolted her awake. She sat up quickly, to see a nightshirt by her feet and Buffy leaving the room.

   "Buffy?" she called after her.

Buffy sighed and turned round. What now?

"Yes?" Buffy stepped back into the room, assuming a hostile stance, her hands folded across her chest. "How can I help you?"

"Umm…" Leia looked a little nervous, uncomfortable. She ran her hands through her hair. "Listen, Buffy, I…I just wanted to say I know how you feel about me. And… I understand why you would feel the way you do."

   Buffy was a little taken aback, but she regained her composure. "Feel about you?" She barked. "I don't feel _anything_ for you, I don't even know you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm beat and I really need to sleep." She turned to go again.

    "I know about Faith," Leia said softly.

Buffy stopped dead in her tracks and turned, very slowly.

   "Faith?" She said nervously, licking her suddenly dry lips, her eyes darting from side to side. "What about Faith?"

"I know what she did to you. " Leia was looking at Buffy in a way that suddenly made her very uncomfortable. Her eyes were boring into her, like she was penetrating her soul.

    Buffy could hardly speak. "How could you…" She whispered.

Leia sighed. "Let's just say I'm intuitive."

"Sorry, that just doesn't work with me." Buffy said archly. She took a few steps closer, agitated. "What, did you spy on me or something? Read a few Watchers' journals? How could you know? And what does Faith have to do with anything? Maybe I just don't like you."

   "Maybe," Leia responded easily, and shrugged. "Or maybe I remind you of her."

Buffy was speechless now. 

Seeing this, Leia continued. "Buffy, I can promise you I'm not. The things she did…maybe my description earlier of when I escaped, maybe that seemed brutal, even cold-blooded…but it wasn't. Even after what all those men did to me, injuring humans isn't what I'm built for. I cared. I hated doing it. But it wasn't a choice. It was pure survival, and I did what I had to do. Nothing more, nothing less. Buffy," She looked at her earnestly. "I can be trusted. I want to be trusted. If you just give me a chance, I'll prove it to you."

     Buffy was still stunned, struggling to take all this in. "But how could you know?"

"My mother told me they call us Seers," Leia said quietly, looking down at her hands. She looked up and saw the confusion in Buffy's eyes. She patted the bed next to her, motioning for Buffy to sit down. After hesitating for a second, she did. 

   "Giles doesn't know this," Leia stated. "I thought any mention of my mother might freak him out." She looked Buffy in the eye seriously. "I'd like it to stay that way."

   Buffy nodded slowly. "I get that."

"Okay. My father was all the things Giles described him as. But my mother…she was something different. I don't know she managed it, but she came to see me while I was in captivity. And while she was there, she said she had something to tell me; something I had to know. My mother's family," She explained, "Were something of the extraordinary. She asked me, had I ever known things about people that they hadn't told me? Just known? I replied yes, I had. Still not understanding. She told me that I had a gift. The reason I knew these things was because I could read people's souls. They spoke to me, especially if a person was in pain. Her grandmother had it, she had it, and she had passed it on to me. I was a Seer. And that was why my father had chosen her."

     Buffy exhaled. "Whew. That's kind of…."

"Weird? Freaky? Abnormal?" Leia grinned. "Trust me, I know. Now that I knew, it was worse, because I started to tap into people without even realising it." She wrinkled her nose. "Some of those Watchers are _nasty_ men."

    Buffy was silent for a moment. Finally she asked, "What did my soul say to you?"

Her eyes were wide and troubled, Leia noticed. "That you're a good person," Leia told her gently. "You're just scared. Nothing is ever easy for you, and most of all, you're afraid to trust anyone. You trusted your first love, and he left," She saw Buffy's jaw drop, realising that she must be telling the truth to know these things, but she continued, "Your father is barely in touch and that pains you more then you let on. And finally…Faith. You trusted her, and you really started to think that you could depend on her when she turned on you. That hurt you more then you could stand, because she actually seemed to hate you." Buffy flinched at the memory. Leia put a hand on her shoulder and she jumped. "It's okay…Buffy, you're strong. I can tell that. You can't let what Faith put you through affect how you see other people, especially not me. I want to help you. I know that it's hard for you, slaying alone, covering up bruises and cuts from your family and friends day after day. It's getting worse, isn't it? The fights. You're getting worried." Leia looked at her, waiting for her to acknowledge what she was saying.

    When Buffy looked up, her eyes were bright with tears. "It just never gets any easier," She whispered, her lower lip trembling. Hurriedly she wiped a tear away with the back of her hand and looked in the other direction, unwilling for her gaze to meet Leia's. "I try and carry on but all the time it's a constant struggle…and everyone I love…" Buffy looked up just for a second. "They always leave…"

    Leia nodded knowingly. "I know. And sometimes you think-"

"-What's the point in fighting anymore?" Buffy finished. They sat in silence for a moment, a sudden connection between them.

  Buffy spoke first this time. Her tears had dried up and she now seemed matter of fact, business like. Worried. "But you're right. The fights- as well as anything - they're getting harder. At the moment," She shook her head, remembering, "I come home later and later. It's not that the vamps are getting better it's just…I'm exhausted. There's more and more of them. They just keep coming and- no-one seems to be worried. Except me."

    Leia took this is in thoughtfully. "Apart from the strain on you, this sounds pretty nasty. Like it's building up to something. Now that Giles has got the Elkean scrolls, maybe we can find out what."

   "And I can sleep easy for once," Buffy said ruefully.

Leia smiled. "We both can."

"That's right- Oh my god." Buffy got up hastily. "I'm…sorry. You must be exhausted. That journey sounded…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered how she had earlier dismissed the hardships Leia had endured and branded her a murderous traitor- like Faith. She flushed.

    "It's okay," Leia stretched back on the bed, deciding not to comment on Buffy's unease. "I'm tired, we both are. I just wanted to talk…I didn't want to start off wrong." She rubbed her eyes. "But I hope you do know I meant what I said- you can trust me. Or you can learn to. I'm going to help…and you don't have to feel like it's too much for you anymore. We'll share the destiny. Or, well," She quickly continued, "maybe not _share_, exactly, I mean I, I…I'm not taking over. I would never. Take over. I just mean-"

   "Relax." Buffy grinned at the other girls babbling. "Judgmental Buffy is off-duty. And," She dropped her eyes. "I am sorry. About the judging."

   "Don't worry about it," Leia said calmly, dismissing it with a wave of her hand to set Buffy at ease. "No biggie." She yawned.

"And that's my cue." Buffy yawned also. "We need sleep. Tomorrow we can go to Giles's and discuss the big bad."

She made her way out, and just as she was about to close the door behind her, Leia called "Night, Buffy."

Buffy poked her head back in, and smiled. "Good night."

Leia flopped back on the pillows contentedly. Everything was really going to be all right. With that thought on her mind and a smile on her lips, she fell asleep instantly for the first time in a very long time.

      Making her way back to her room, Buffy heard the phone ring. Running to catch it before it woke her mom, she flung herself on her bed.

   "Hello?" Buffy answered breathlessly.

"Where the hell did you go!" Came Willow's agitated voice. "We were looking everywhere for you! We thought you'd been vamp-napped or, or just squished by a demon. We were looking for little piles of Buffy goo-"

"Will stop!" Buffy cut into her rant. "Please! I…had a good reason."

"Was it a demon?" Willow asked worriedly.

Buffy laughed. "Not quite. Will, I tell you, it has been one hell of a long night…"

***

The next morning, Leia awoke to hear birds singing outside her window. She opened her eyes slowly, a tiny twinge of fear inside of her that it had all been a dream. Blurred vision cleared to vivid, sharp images: a cream bookcase and matching dresser, a mahogany wardrobe against pale lemon walls, a cream shag carpet. Curtains with yellow butterflies dotted on them veiling bright sunlight that was streaming through a gap in the bottom. All her tensed muscles slowly contracted and she breathed a sigh of relief. She had really made it.

      Relaxing, she stretched out and then bounced up from the bed. Padding over to the window, she threw open the curtains. Leia stood and looked out on the view; leafy green trees on a freshly cut lawn, a white sidewalk and occasionally a car crunching on the grey tarmac. The sky was clear and blue. It was normal, wholesome, and entirely new to her.

     She was broken out of her reverie by a knock on the door. 

"Come in," she said, turning around.

Buffy popped her head through the door. "Hi. Sleep well?"

"Like a log," Leia remarked, nodding.

Buffy smiled. "Well, it's good you're up. Giles is on the phone for you."

"Oh, right." Leia walked towards the door and followed Buffy down the hall.

"You can use the one in my room if you want." Buffy indicated, pointing through the open door on the left to the phone on her dresser. She hesitated. "I can leave you alone if you want privacy."

   "No, that's fine." Leia said, motioning for Buffy to stay, and Buffy sat down on the bed beside her.

"Hello." Leia spoke into the phone, casting an eye around Buffy's room.

"Good morning," Came Giles's warm greeting. "How are you feeling today, dumpling?"

Leia chuckled, memories welling in her. "Hey, you always used to call me that." A lump built in her throat and she rolled her eyes to herself. Not again! Get a grip, woman.

 She swallowed it down hastily. "I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm quite alright," Giles lied, leaving out the fact that he had hardly slept all night, tossing and turning about Leia's safety. He was ecstatic beyond belief that she was here, but of course he was _terrified of something happening to her. The council would not take long to find her here and although he didn't want to worry her, he wanted to warn her to be careful…he was in a very difficult position indeed. _

   "I've been thinking," Giles told her, deciding to leave his worries until later. "You're going to need some clothes desperately, young lady. Those leather trousers are hardly appropriate." He chuckled.

   "Oi!" Leia responded good-naturedly. "I like them."

  "Well, I think you're going to need a bit of an expansion on the old wardrobe front. So, how about I take you shopping today and you can, um, buy some with me and we'll catch up on everything."

Leia closed her eyes for a second, a feeling of happiness surging through her. It sounded corny, but after all the shit she'd been through, she had to keep pinching herself to check that this was really real, that this was really happening…She snuck a peek at Buffy out of the corner of one eye. Not that she would let anyone know… "Thank you! That sounds amazing. But really, I couldn't let you pay for them…"

   "Oh, don't be stupid," Giles cut in. "I am going to take care of you from now on, love, whether you like it or not. Okay?"

   "Aye aye sir," Leia smiled at her Uncle's stern attitude. "Who am I to argue?"

"Well, just think of it as eight years of birthday presents from your old uncle." He sighed. "I just can't believe you are twenty already."

   "Yeah, time sure flies when you're having fun, huh?" Leia remarked dryly. "So what time?"

"Hmm. I take it you just got up, lazybones?"

"Hey!" Leia protested. "You spend two weeks on a ship and then you can call me lazy!"

"No, that's quite alright, I'll just take your word for it." Giles smiled. "Well, shall I come by Buffy's and pick you up in an hour?"

   "Yea…" Leia's gaze fell on Buffy, who was sitting twiddling with her thumbs. "That sounds good." Leia continued looking at her surreptitiously. Most of the tension had disappeared, well, virtually all of it...a normal person would not have noticed. Had she not been a Seer, she would have been content to let Buffy leave them in private earlier when she had offered, and she would be content to accept this offer now... But she had a feeling that Buffy was a tad worried about being pushed out where Giles was concerned. Leia could tell Buffy had a close relationship with her Watcher, and she didn't want to get in the way of that at all. She wanted to make sure Buffy was always included.

   "One more thing," Leia asked, still looking at Buffy. "Is it okay if Buffy comes with us?"

"Of course," said Giles, sounding surprised. 

"Great!" Leia stood up. "So I'll see you in an hour then, yeah?"

"Yes. Bye Leia."

  "Bye!" She put the phone down to see Buffy eyeing her curiously.

"Is it okay if Buffy comes where?" she asked her, cocking her head.

"Well…Rupe- Giles…" Leia tried, thinking how funny his surname sounded on her own tongue. "Anyway, what's his name-" Buffy smiled. "He wants to take me shopping today. And well, I thought it'd be cool if you would come, if you wanted. No offence to Giles, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know his arse from his earhole where shops are concerned…it'd be nice if you'd show me around." Leia asked in a relaxed way.

   Buffy hesitated a moment, but found she was glad to have been invited along. "Sure, I'd love to!"

    "Sweet. He's coming in an hour to pick us up, then." Leia strolled from the room. "And, " she called over her shoulder, "It could just be me, but I think he's worried about something."

   "Like what?" Buffy called back as she started to get dressed.

"I dunno." Came the reply from Leia's room. "See if you can pick anything up."

 "I will!" Buffy yanked a T-shirt over her head. "But you know what he's like- kind of introverted."

"I sure do…that's why I couldn't imagine him shopping!" And both the Slayers laughed. Buffy pulled some jeans on and put her hair up. She opened her bag to put some money in, and spotted a stake at the bottom as she walked out the door. "What are you doing in there, Mr Pointy?" She asked it in a chiding voice. "Not gonna need _you_ today!" Buffy tossed it back on the bed and shut the door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

****

Half an hour later, they were at the mall. Giles had dropped them off in his shiny red sports car. ("Oh MY!" Leia had exclaimed when she saw it. "Rupe, you old dog you!" Giles had turned the colour of his car and mumbled something about an "impulse buy".) He had now gone with Leia to get some money out of the card-machine, and Buffy had used to this time to call Willow.

    "Hey Will," She said when Willow picked up.

   "Hi Buffy," Willow said cheerily. "How're you today? How is everything?"

  "I'm fine, everything's cool," Buffy nodded. "I was wondering if-"

A particularly loud group of teenagers walked past and Buffy was reminded of Dawn for a moment, who was staying with her father until next week when she returned. Boy, would _she_ get a surprise when she got back. She hates it enough with _me_ being the Slayer, thought Buffy. I wonder how she'll react to two?

    "Buffy?" Willow asked. "I can hardly hear you, where are you?"

    "Sorry Will, I'm at the mall. Giles was taking Leia to get some clothes and they asked me if I wanted to come along."

   "Ooh." Willows voice lowered conspiratorially. "How is it?" She asked in hushed tones. " How is she?"

"It's actually okay," Buffy was amazed to hear herself saying. She had been so convinced about this girl. "I mean, it's better then okay…it's actually good."

   "Really?" Willow sounded pretty amazed too. "Wow! But I mean it must be weird, having another Slayer around…especially after…"Her voice trailed off timidly

   "The crazy psycho-bitch?" Buffy asked. 

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I was hoping to imply with the pausing." Willow replied. "She's not like Faith, is she?"

 "That's the thing though," Buffy chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Like I told you last night, I was so sure she was going to be like her…but she's really not. Well, as far as I can see. She seemed really …well…_nice_…I guess I could be wrong, but she doesn't give me any wiggins. Faith always gave me uber bad-vibes."

     "Well, Faith fooled me at the beginning," Willow admitted. "But it wore off pretty quickly. What's she like? What was her name again, Leighanne? Sorry Buff, it was kinda late when I spoke to you."

   "Leia. I don't know, she's…she's kinda laid back…well, very laid back actually!"

"Laid back people are good," remarked Willow fondly. "Like Oz."

  "Yes!" Buffy snapped her fingers. "Like Oz! She kind of reminds me of him, except you know…British. And feminine. Also she's funny…kind of sarcy."

  "Like you!" Willow pointed out hopefully. "See, maybe this one is not going to be evil."

"Yeah, I have a good feeling. Things might actually be okay," Buffy nodded, and then spotted Leia and Giles rounding the corner. "Oooh, they're coming back now and I haven't asked you what I phoned to ask you!"

  "What was that?"

"Leia and Giles are going to go and have lunch together after we've shopped, kind of catch up. I thought they should probably spend some time alone, I mean, they have been separated like eight years, and then he could bring her to the magic shop and meet everyone?"

   "Oooh, great idea," said Willow enthusiastically. "Maybe I could do a little Japanese shower- it's like a confetti spell! You know, for celebration, when she comes."

   Buffy grinned. "Hold on with the excitement Will. I'm not done yet."

 "Oooh, sorry."

"You want to meet for a coffee or something first?" Buffy asked, smiling. "I'm still wantin' the details of Oz and his cuteness from last night!"

  "Sure!" Willow sounded excited. "Yay! I thought I had nothing to do today and now I have tons."

"So, we'll meet in the mall at about 1.30, that okay?"

"See you then Buff!" 

"Bye Willow."

Buffy was still smiling when she hung up the phone.

Leia was fingering a wad of money, and then she looked up, a wicked glint in her eyes. "I'm ready to burn it!"

Giles winced dramatically. "My hard earned money…gone!" He complained woefully.

Leia gave him a teasing elbow in the ribs. "It was once yours. Now it's mine! All mine!"

Buffy put her hands on her hips. "Ready to shop, miss?"

"Certainly." Leia grinned broadly. "Just lead the way."

***

"So you burned the school down?" Leia asked wide-eyed, while flipping through a rack of pastel-coloured dresses. "Woah. And I thought my life was eventful…in the white-box place."

    Buffy pulled a face. "That was the most eventful it got for a while. My second burnt down school. Things got better from then onwards."

"Really?" Buffy handed Leia a blue long-sleeved top and, approving it, she added it to the bundle in her arms. "What did you do next?"

   "Well… _someone left town and after that, things could __only get better…I was gut-wrenchingly miserable, and about as down as down could be. Things sure couldn't get much worse." Off Leia's questioning look, she sighed. _

   "It was Angel, the guy you met last night."

"Ooh, the vampire?"

Buffy winced at the term. "Yeah…"She looked up at Leia curiously, remembering Kendra and her reaction. Kendra and Faith were two extremes- one was a model slayer who played every move by the book. But she had a good heart, Buffy remembered wistfully. She had thought Faith a welcome change from Kendra when she arrived, Buffy recalled. Her free sprit and sassy ways had encouraged Buffy to walk on the wild side, to be more daring, more carefree. Until that night, when she had walked too far…Buffy shuddered. There was a thin line between being a Slayer and a murderer. Why was it Kendra had died, and Faith had survived to be called? But then her eyes fell on Leia and she remembered that Faith hadn't survived. Leia was here now. She wondered whom Leia would be more like, Kendra or Faith? She knew it wasn't fair to compare them, but she had had too many painful experiences with caring for other slayers and then having to let them go, not to. Leia picked up a pair of daring, low cut hipster trousers and as she observed them decisively, Buffy observed her. She certainly had the sassy ways of Faith. But she hoped, she prayed, that she had a good heart like Kendra.

    "Buffy?" Leia held up the trousers in front of her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "What do you think?"

"They're nice, uh, you should get them." Buffy managed, suddenly praying that Leia hadn't been able to pick up any of the thoughts she had had just then. Frantically thinking of something to say, she blurted out "So what did you think of Angel?" Well, this was one way to find out what the girl was like.

   Leia thought for a moment as they moved around to a rack of shirts. "He seemed cool," She replied calmly, non-committally. "I don't really know him, of course." She shot a sneaky sideward glance at Buffy. "He was certainly gorgeous."

   "You really think so?" Buffy asked, surprised and pleased by the girl's laid-back reaction.

"Hell yeah." Leia grinned and walked off further into the store to inspect some mannequins.

"But what do you think about the vampire thing?" Buffy persisted, following her.

Leia turned round. "Well…" she looked at Buffy. "Not to be frank, Buffy dear, but it isn't really what I think that matters, is it?" She asked softly.

  Buffy blushed. "What do you mean?" she breathed. 

Leia grinned. "Come _on_, Buffy. It's written on your face as clear as day that you have either serious history or feelings or _both with this guy."_

   Buffy tried to act outraged. "What are you talking about!" She squeaked. "I never- I…I have a boyfriend, and I never…there is nothing between me and Angel."

   "Oh yeah?" Leia challenged, sliding her bundle of clothes from one arm to the other. "Then how come you said that you hit rock-bottom when he left?"

   Buffy stared at her, lost for words. "I….I never said that!" She spluttered.

"As good as said it!" Leia cackled.

Buffy eventually looked away and sighed. "Okay, okay." She held up her hands. "Me and Angel have immense, horrifying, and complicated history."

    "And now he's here?" Leia let a low whistle. "Makes things very difficult. Hold this for a sec?" She loaded some of the bundle into Buffy's arms.  
   "Sure. Difficult?" Buffy continued glumly. "Tell me about it."

"Well, do." Off Buffy's look of confusion, she elaborated. "Tell me about it. It might make you feel better."

Buffy hesitated, and Leia quickly continued, "Or don't. You know. Whatever. We can talk about something else, if you want."

   Buffy smiled. This girl was actually really, really cool. She was laid-back and Buffy welcomed it. It was refreshing not to be crowded. Suddenly Buffy felt an overwhelming desire to talk.

   "Okay," Buffy sighed, "But you've really asked for it now. I'm going to talk your ear off with this tale…it's very long, and it's very weird, and it's very private."

They were at the check out. Leia placed the clothes on the counter and slowly turned back to Buffy.

   "Okay…but Buffy…"Leia cocked her head. "If it's very private, why tell me? You hardly know me." She nodded at Buffy. "Don't get me wrong, I am an incredibly trustworthy and generally wonderful person," Leia grinned. "But if you would rather save his chat and tell one of your friends, Willow or someone, I would understand. I'd be just as happy to change the subject."

   "That's okay," Buffy joked. "I was running out of stuff to talk about anyway."

Leia laughed, but still asked her, "You're sure?"

Buffy smiled. "I'm sure. You ready to be talked at for five hours?"

"Fire away," Leia nodded, and as they walked out of the store with her bags and into the next shop, off Buffy went.

***

Two hours later, they had bought all of Leia's necessities and Buffy was just wrapping up her tale.

    Leia exhaled loudly. "Foof. That's…full of angst."

"Angst is Angel's middle name," Buffy quipped, then sighed. "But I really don't know what to do…I mean, he's here, I'm here, all my old feelings are here and-"

  "Riley's not," Leia finished.

Buffy looked at her, slightly uncomfortable as she realised that. "Oh…god. I know. And he's not going to be happy when he finds out, either. I just-" She threw her hands up in the air. "I just want to forget about it all, you know? Just push it all away. Not have to continually go over it with myself. But I can't help it," She smiled wryly. "I just _did go over it, and I can't seem to stop myself."_

   Leia nodded thoughtfully. "You need closure. But Angel doesn't really seem like the closure type, does he? If you don't mind me saying," she added.

   "Not at all," Buffy replied, smiling.

"Well, he seems the type to leave things open-ended."

"He sure does," Buffy concluded glumly. "Argh! I just want to stop thinking about it all the time. There's no point, this is what is happening and I can't change it."

"Well, you have two options with Angel, the way I see it," Leia reasoned. "You can either talk to him about it and try figure things out together, or just leave it and maybe it'll get better. But in the meantime, hopefully we can find some distractions to take your mind off him."

 Buffy nodded, and then her sharp eyes spotted something. "Well," she murmured to Leia slowly. "I think I just found us one." She pointed behind her.

   Leia turned around and was suddenly aware that every fibre in her body was on edge, her ears were keened and her senses were alert. That could only mean something of the not-good variety was near by.

   "Have you got a stake?" Buffy asked her, as they slowly walked towards the corner the vampire had disappeared into, planning.

    "No…"Leia trailed off, and then she perked up and added brightly as her gaze fell on a wooden bench, "But I can improvise!"

    Buffy saw what she was driving at and grinned. Then a scream split the air. "No time right now!" Buffy yelled as they sprinted round the corner.

    An absolutely massive vampire had pinned a young woman against the wall. He must have been about 7"1, and his very large hand (Leia noted it was around the size of both her feet combined) was now over the woman's mouth.

   "Now why you gotta go and scream like that for," He whispered menacingly. "It won't even hurt. Well, it wouldn't have hurt before you screamed but now," He grinned, showing his decaying teeth dripping with saliva," I might just have to elaborate a little. I don't like noisy women." The woman's eyes widened in fear and she struggled desperately.

      "Gee," came a voice behind him. "You're _really_ not going to like us then."

The vampire whirled around, furious, to see Leia and Buffy standing there.

   "Fresh meat," He snarled. "I can always find room for a few more."

 With a spinning kick, Buffy drove the vamp to the ground. "Run," Leia told the woman helpfully. The vampire was up in an eye-blink, and the blow he hammered at Buffy knocked her backwards. Buffy hit the vamp again, but with each of her blows, the vamp got in three. The two battered one another, and then Buffy went down hard.

   "Hey Incredible Hulk," Leia called, guessing Buffy was going to need some breathing room. This vamp was like, Giant-vamp, and he didn't seem to be tiring at all. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size? Oh wait. I forgot. There _is no-one your size…"_

    With a snarl, the vamp lunged at Leia. With a grunt, Leia cracked her knuckles across the vamp's face in a savage backhand. The vamp struck back, but Leia trapped his fist. And then Buffy attacked; sweeping the vamps legs out from underneath him in a sliding kick, and then flipping back up to knock his head back with both of her feet.

    "Weapons," Leia grunted, as she dodged a blow from the vamp and spun into a roundhouse kick, snapping her foot against his temple viciously, "We need…"

   "I know," Buffy managed breathlessly, the vampire landing a punch in her gut. She leant forward and then snapped her head back against his chin. But it only deterred the vamp for a second; he just kept coming.

   "This guy's like the Energiser Bunny," Leia complained, her breath coming fast and hard. "Switch?" Buffy simply locked her arms with Leia's and as they tandem-flipped, Leia whispered quickly, "Start moving him back out of this corner into the open."

They slowly moved backwards as they traded blows with the vamp, trying to keep him unaware of what they were doing. Buffy moved behind the vamp and started to come at him from there, so moving him forward as he struggled to keep up with the two Slayers. He looked like he was finally weakening…   

  Leia launched into a quick back flip, but kept her legs straight so she was able to connect her feet against his jaw. The resounding "pop" informed her that she had satisfactorily managed to dislocate his jaw. 

   The vamp gave a roar of pain. "Bitch!" He followed her backwards and grabbed her by her neck in a chokehold. 

Leia knew they were getting near the wooden bench, she had spotted it when she flipped. She tried to concentrate on the training the Council had given her about bringing a vampire down when he had you in this position...but he was just so _strong_. She felt weak as the breath was sucked out of her, but concentrated on swinging her dangling legs back and forth to gain some momentum. It didn't seem to be doing any good, it was taking too long…her vision started to swim in front of her. Her windpipe would give any second…

   Buffy got up from where the vampire had kicked her against a wall and saw him dangling Leia in the air by her neck. She rushed at the vamp from behind and pummelled him against the back of his head.

  This took the vampire by surprise and with a growl he turned around and easily backhanded Buffy away. But it had given Leia the distraction she needed. The vamp loosened his grip on her for a fraction of a second and it was enough for her to use the momentum she had gained to land her feet against his chest and push off against him with all her might.

    The vamp stumbled under the force and crashed on top of her. They fell together and Leia felt the solid wood of the bench underneath her back, which cracked underneath the force of her fall. She scrabbled underneath her for something sharp and pointy and they lay amongst the debris, but the vamp recovered very quickly and looked down at her with blood-lust in his eyes.

Leia saw Buffy over his shoulder, the vampires massive bulk suffocating her as she struggled underneath him. "Buffy," she gasped. She squeezed her eyes shut as he lowered his teeth to her neck…and when the bite never came, she cracked one open to see him disappearing in a cloud of dust.

 As the dust scattered all over Leia, she could see Buffy standing there with the leg of the bench in her hand. "Let's hear it for improvisation," Buffy grinned, and held out her hand to help her up.

   It was then the two Slayers realised a small crowd had formed around them. Thinking fast, Leia got to her feet before they started to panic.

    "And that was your special preview for the upcoming film at the Mall's cinema…." Leia lunged into a fight position, her hand coiled in a tight fist, her legs bent and hip distance apart.

   Buffy looked at her for a moment in confusion, and then twigged. "Yes! Be sure to come and see…ah…Fear Factory!" She finished hastily, "The new film starring Brad Pitt and um, Angelina Jolie!"

     The people all looked at each other then started to clap, thankful for the reasonable explanation for what they had seen. As they trailed away, Buffy called after them, "Out this June!"

   Leia looked at her newly bought watch. "Oops. That little "distraction" took longer then planned. It's nearly two."

   Buffy winced. "I gotta meet Willow. I'm late."

  "And I've got to meet Rupe…"The two Slayers looked at each other.

"Pick you up in an hour," Leia offered.

"See you then."

"See ya later."

With that, the two girls sprinted off in opposite directions.


	7. Chapter 7

***

"I can't quite believe you and Buffy have already slayed together and it's only your first day," Giles said, sipping his coffee thoughtfully. Then he frowned. "What am I saying? Of course I can believe it, forgive me. This is Sunnydale. So, was it an easy hunt?"

     "Not really. He was huge. But we got the job done alright." Leia remarked, chomping on a hamburger. 

Giles eyed Leia cautiously. She didn't seem worried...in fact, Leia never seemed worried. But Giles _was_ a little worried about her cool attitude. Not that he wanted her to be nervous, he wouldn't want to change her, it was just…he sighed and took off his glasses, beginning to clean them agitatedly. He didn't want to lose her again.

    She was looking at him curiously. "What are you thinking about?"

"Leia…."Giles sighed again. This was it. He swallowed hard. "Leia, I'm worried about the Council."

At the sound of them, Leia sat bolt upright, every nerve in her body tense. "What about them?" She asked, her voice coming out breathy and a little high.

   "I'm worried about them finding you." He placed his hand over hers. "Darling, you know as well as I do how they operate. It won't take them long to figure out where you are. In fact, they could be here already. And you also know, as well as I do, that they don't take kindly to people who disobey them. Your departure will not go unpunished."

   "They can't do anything to me!" Leia shook her head, her voice trembling. "I'm not their property! I'm a person, damnit!" She brought her fist down on the table hard. Giles put a hand on her arm, his eyes concerned and troubled.

    "Leia?"

 She drew a ragged breath, and ran her fingers through her hair shakily. When she had calmed down a little, she continued. "I'm sorry. They just…what they did to me…I felt like I was an animal. All my rights to freedom were taken away…" She looked up at him, and said softly, "You don't know what that feels like."

    "I think you'll find I understand more then you think," He told her gently. "I know how they operate. I was forced to become a Watcher, after all. It was not my chosen occupation. " Giles saw the question in her eyes, but decided to leave that until another time. "The point is, Leia," He squeezed her hand, "Is that they will be looking for you, and soon. I'm not going to let them take you, okay?" His voice was fierce. "I won't allow it. But we have to plan what we're going to do when they find you, with everyone. Buffy and everyone."

    "But that's not all, is it?" Leia asked, sensing Giles's fears ran deeper then that.

Giles smiled. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?" His smile faded. "Leia, I'm sure Buffy has told you about the increase in vampire activity in the town recently. They vampires are getting more confident, and we're not sure why. But that indicates that something is going to happen. I've asked Spike to tap his sources tonight, so we should have more information tomorrow." 

  "Spike?" Leia asked. 

  Giles waved his hand dismissively. "You'll meet him later. He's…well…"Giles rolled his eyes. "He's a member of the team, something I find it hard to stomach on occasion. But that's of no consequence. The thing is, Leia…" His voice lowered. "Something is coming, something which you both need to be prepared for. And with my possession of the Elkean scrolls, I have found…." His voice was a little shaky now. "Your coming here was no accident, Leia."

   Leia looked at him for a moment, her eyes huge. "What do you mean?" She breathed, finally.

"I'm not sure." He rubbed his eyes. "I haven't got far enough to know why, but all I know is that something is happening that requires both of you to be here."

     Leia sat still, thoughts whirling through her mind. Was that good or bad? Her destiny had led her here, but for what purpose?

    Her eyes were stormy and troubled when they met Giles's again. "My life really takes the piss." She said dryly.

Giles was unable to suppress a chuckle. His expression quickly became serious again as he spoke, "But I don't know anything yet. Not anything concrete. I just thought it'd be better for you to know. I'm going to let Buffy and the others know at the meeting."

    Leia nodded, and he continued, "Which we better get going to about now, actually. Have you finished that?" He pointed at her lunch. At another nod from her, he tossed some bills onto the table and pulled on his jacket. "Come on then, sparrow."

   Leia got up slowly, still struggling to remain calm. She really thought things were going well here, and that maybe her life was taking a turn for the better. But she now realised this was only the beginning of something else…another road she was walking down and she was unaware of where it would take her. 

     Sensing her unease, Giles pulled her into a hug and pressed his lips against her forehead protectively. "I promise, darling," He told her. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're safe now."

    Safe, Leia thought. In a world of demons, vampires, and where anything was possible, could anyone ever really be safe?

***

Buffy noticed Leia seemed a little subdued on the way back. Maybe she's nervous about meeting the gang, she thought. They stopped at the Summers house so that Leia could have a shower and change out of her old clothes into a new outfit, and put her purchases away.

   Buffy was just filling Giles in some of the details of the vampire when Leia came down stairs, towel-drying her wet hair.

  "It must have been at least seven feet Giles, it was _huge._ It wasn't that he was a great fighter," Buffy explained, "But he had some amazing stamina and he was so strong. If I'd had to have fought that on my own I would've been toast."

   "Interesting," Giles murmured, his mind racing with thoughts. "And you overpowered it how?"

   "Well he kicked me against a wall, and Leia sorted of flipped I guess and was luring him backwards. The next thing I knew was when I looked up he had her in a chokehold and-"

   "Why was she luring him backwards?" Giles interrupted.

"Because we needed to get him to the bench. Anyway, she was doing this swingy thing with her legs, I didn't actually know why, but I figured she would need some breathing space 'cause she was turning _blue_. I was getting scared and-"

   "Why did you need to get him to the bench?" Giles interrupted again.

"Because we needed something to stake him with Giles, duh." Buffy continued exasperatedly. "And-"

"Hold it young lady!" Giles stopped her in annoyance. " Are you telling me you didn't have a stake with you?"

Buffy looked at the floor sheepishly. "Uh…no…"

Giles rolled his eyes. "For heaven's sakes Buffy! You both could've been killed! And what _were_ you thinking, rushing in there when you didn't have a stake? Honestly, you're both as a bad as each other."

   "Hey!" Buffy protested. "We had to help the lady."

 Giles raised an eyebrow at her. 

   "Okay," Buffy admitted. "I goofed. I was pretty scared, actually."

"Yes, well." Giles sighed, shaking his head. "You're going to be the death of me. Please, from now on, just…take a stake with you, wherever you go? Whether it's day or night. I'm disappointed in you, Buffy. You should know better."

   Buffy kicked her feet against the side of the counter. "Sorry." She said, meaning it. "I was careless."

"We can't afford for you to be careless!" Giles snapped.

Buffy looked at him, taken aback and a little hurt in her eyes. "Woah. What happened there?"

Giles closed his eyes and his body seemed to deflate as the anger seeped out of him. "I'm sorry Buffy, I'm just…wound up a little tight and there are warning signs _everywhere_ at the moment. The increased vampiric activity, Leia's arrival…all signs point towards something coming. And I'm getting worried enough about it without finding out my Slayers don't even take stakes with them!" He exclaimed, clenching his fists.

   "I'm sorry," She whispered. "I didn't realise…"

  "Well, now you know." He said sharply. His voice softened as he carried on, "We just can't afford mistakes. Not now."

   "Don't worry." Buffy patted his shoulder. "It'll be okay. Careful Buffy from now on."

   "What's the commotion?" Came Leia's voice from behind them as she entered the room.

 Giles sighed. "Nothing, apart from finding out you didn't take stakes with you this afternoon."

   "Giles went ultrasonic," Buffy informed helpfully.

"Mistake." Leia nodded. "Won't happen again."

Giles looked at them both, and finally shook his head, smiling. "Honestly…" He cleared his throat. "Everything okay, Leia?"

Buffy noticed she seemed a lot calmer, more like her usual relaxed self. 

   "Yeah. Thanks again, Rupe," Leia said nonchalantly. "The clothes are great." She leaned casually against the counter-top. "Thanks too, Buffy."

   "No problem," Buffy replied, glad that the tension in the room had eased. There was a pause for a moment.

"Well we better be off," Giles broke the silence, grabbing his keys from the side. "Did Willow say what time the others would be there?"

   "Nah." Buffy shook her head. "She said her and Oz were going over there now, and Xander and Anya were already there. Angel said he's going to come through the tunnels, and is Spike coming?"

   Giles shrugged. "Never can tell with him. If he's got any information I should think he'll show."

"Right." Buffy headed for the door. "Scooby meeting."

"Scooby?" Leia echoed.

"Pet-name." Buffy patted her arm. "You'll learn to love it."

***

Leia breezed into the Magic Box behind the others, but stopped at a cabinet filled with magical odds and ends before she got to the Scooby gang. "Hey!" She suddenly said in excitement, picking up a pendant with a black stone in the middle. "This looks like one of those vengeance demon pendants."

      "No, that _was a vengeance demon's pendant," Anya called sulkily from the back of the shop, sitting next to Xander round the wooden table. _

Leia shrugged and put the necklace down.

  Buffy grinned and, standing by the side of the table, gestured at Anya. "And that's your introduction. Leia, meet Anya. Ex-vengeance demon," She added as an after-thought.

   Comprehension dawned on Leia's face. "I see," She remarked thoughtfully. "Nice to meet you, Anya. Not…Anyanka, by any chance?" She asked casually.

   Anya's face glowed. "She's heard of me!" She exclaimed, elbowing Xander in the ribs. "Didya hear that Xandy? She's heard of me, she's heard of me!"

    "Wonderful," replied Xander absentmindedly, not looking up from his newspaper.

"Leia, meet Xander," Buffy continued, looking at Leia in amusement. Leia realised they weren't completely aware of her presence. Giles had disappeared somewhere on the pretext of looking for some books, and until he came back, the Scoobies were not ready for business.

    Xander, reaching out for his coffee and taking a sip without taking his eyes of his newspaper, suddenly clued someone had said his name. "What? Yes, me," He looked up, and then spluttered, dripping coffee all over himself in his haste to get up. "Xander Harris," He rushed over to Leia and grabbed her hand, "And very, _very_ pleased to meet you!" He enthused.

    Leia, a little bemused, returned the handshake. "The pleasure's all mine," She grinned.

Xander grinned back, struck dumb for a moment. Was it something about Slayers that they were all _gorgeous?_ "Another Slayer in the fold, and how we love them, well, except the last one…she was kind of …slightly insane, and well…except for the one before that, she was kind of like a robot, and then there was Buffy!" He beamed, " And we all love her, and I can tell you'll fit right in," Xander babbled on until he noticed Anya standing huffily beside him.

   "I hate it when he does this," She poked Xander. "I try not to be jealous because he often tells me that to go with my impulse and claw women's eyes out is not the civilised manner in which to approach things," Anya told Leia fretfully, "But he has this obsession with pretty Slayers."

   Xander blushed. "Do not." He cleared his throat. "You know I don't have eyes for anyone but you, sugar lump," He cooed to Anya, and she giggled.

    Leia raised her eyebrows, the whole scenario making her head spin. "It's okay," came Buffy's voice from beside her. "They can be a lot to take all at once…and this is Willow-" She indicated to a redhead sitting at a computer. Willow turned round immediately.

   "Oh, hi!" The petite girl got up and held out a hand. "Sorry about that, I didn't even know you'd come in…I'm Willow."

   Leia shook her hand. "Hi, I'm Leia."

  "This is Willow's boyfriend, Oz," Buffy pointed out Oz, who was leaning back on his chair reading a magazine, the epitome of cool. "I have a feeling you'll get on pretty well," Buffy grinned.

   Oz looked up. "Hey." 

"Hey." Leia pointed to herself. "Leia."

Oz nodded and also pointed to himself. "Oz." They both smiled at each other and Oz went back to his magazine, Leia turned back to Buffy.

   Willow had watched them with amazement. "You were right! Totally a British Oz," She whispered to Buffy.

Buffy went and sat down at the table, and when everyone apart from Giles, who was still off looking at books, was seated around her, she continued. "So, that's the gang. We all work together when the Big Evil starts a-brewin'. Research," She pointed to the books behind her, "And also they come with me when I'm slaying something big. Not on patrol, but I guess, on "mission" you could call it. Willow's getting to be a pretty powerful witch, so that helps."

   Willow blushed. "Not really…" 

Oz put his arm around her. "Hey…you're good and you know it."

"Well, I can do some stuff," Willow admitted shyly.

Leia smiled at her. "Cool."

"Anya knows a lot from being, well, a demon," Buffy continued, "And Oz here is part werewolf."

"A werewolf," Leia mused. 

Oz nodded again. "Got bitten."

"When do you like, transform?" Leia asked. "Just for a couple of days around full moon?"

"Yeah." Oz stretched, leaning further back on his chair. "Around quarter moon sometimes it used to be a problem, but, pretty much controlled now."

"Not hairy most of the time then." Leia grinned. 

"It's a blessing." Oz conceded.

"I'm just the normal guy," Xander chimed in, "Before you start wondering about me. I'm just…a carpenter."

"Everyone helps," Buffy corrected, shooting Xander a reproachful look. "But _sometimes people like to make out they're not important."_

"I try. I like distracting beasts by manfully allowing them to pummel me." Xander joked.

"So that's about it," Buffy concluded. "Oh, apart from Spike."

"Who could forget him?" grumbled Xander. "There aren't many towns that have a dyed-blonde vampire who decided to step over from the dark side of the force."

"Xander's speaking in metaphors again," Willow said. Turning to Leia, she informed her, "He does that a lot."

"Spike helps us," Buffy carried on stubbornly. "Okay, he's kind of annoying. Very annoying. But he's very, very strong. _I_ never managed to kill him," Buffy joked. "He does help. He let's me know when things are happening and stuff. Sometimes he comes on patrol."

Xander was finishing up just as Giles came and sat down with them. "So that's it, we're a well-oiled, well-functioning destruction team for the forces of darkness."

"Nicely put Xand," Buffy grinned.

Leia hadn't spoken for a while, but now she leaned forward thoughtfully, cupping one hand under her chin. "You know, it's weird," She said quietly. "The whole thing about, Slayer secrecy. Not telling anyone who you are, for fear of putting them in danger or whatever." She furrowed her brow pensively. "From what I read of the Watcher's journals, it always got them killed. It's a Slayers worst fear, that day when you die. When you meet a demon that's too good, too fast, or whatever. I always thought that the Slayer going solo tactic was the biggest weakness a Slayer had." Her tone was serious, and then she grinned suddenly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I think you've got a winning formula here. And I also want to thank you for all being so nice to me- I know you've had some bad experiences with other Slayers besides Buffy," She looked at Buffy quickly. "But I really want to help. I want to be part of the team, if you'll have me."

    "See, I told you she'd fit in," Xander repeated emphatically. The other people around the table nodded at her.

Willow looked at her. "I think I speak for myself, _and everyone else, when I say it wasn't all that hard being nice to you, Leia." Willow smiled._

"Besides, any relation of G-man here can't be all that bad," Xander grinned at her as he patted Giles's arm.

   Giles stood up. "Thank you, Xander, I think." He looked down at him in bemusement. "Though, as always, I am mystified by your use of the English language, I am glad and thankful that you have made Leia so welcome. However, introducing her to you, though it was fundamental, was not the only reason I called this meeting."

   "Oh no," Xander groaned. "I knew there was a flip-side."

"Well, quite." Giles paced in front of them and started to clean his glasses absentmindedly. "As you know, thanks to Angel-"

  "I'm here!" Angel came from the back of the room. "Sorry I'm late." He quickly took a seat next to Buffy.

Giles stopped for a moment, then nodded in greeting. "Angel. As I was saying, thanks to Angel-"

"Argh!" A commotion came from the front of the shop as a flame covered bundle shot through the door. 

"Oh, what now!" Giles sighed, throwing his glasses up in exasperation, as everyone turned towards the door.

"Oh, it's just Spike," Buffy waved her hand and everyone turned back to Giles. "You were saying, Giles?"

"Just Spike indeed!" The vampire in question got up, shook the blanket out, and dusted himself off. Leia glanced at him and then, as he turned round, she found it was hard to look away. He had a haughty face, the most prominent cheekbones she had ever seen, hollowed piercing blue eyes, bleached blonde hair and pale, creamy skin. He was slender and lean clad all in black with a long leather duster. He reminded her of a cat as he made his way over to the table, graceful and feline, predatory. Leia gawked.

    "I've got some bleedin' information and all I hear is "Just Spike"" He mimicked, and Leia was surprised to hear he spoke with a cut glass British accent. "I mean, bloody hell…"His voice trailed off and for a moment he locked eyes with her.

     Spike was not often distracted once his mouth started to move, but as he looked at the table he found himself looking into the eyes of a girl he had never seen before. Green eyes, he noticed. Deep and emerald and sparkling. Huge in the middle of a face as pale as his own, apart from a smattering of golden freckles across a petite, snub nose. A small, yet oddly sensual rosebud mouth. Long, honey-coloured hair with tints of rich chocolate. He couldn't tell from how she was sitting, but he could picture long, long legs curled up under the table. 

    Suddenly the fibres in both their bodies stiffened as they realised, and thoughts flashed through their minds simultaneously:

Vampire.

Slayer?

Leia quickly looked away and the spell was broken. 

Spike blinked and regained his cool. "Sorry, what was I saying?" He asked, looking around him, having completely forgotten what he had came here for.

The moment had been missed by the group, so quick it was. "You were interrupting me," Giles told him. "Now sit down and I'll continue."

   "Sorry," Spike muttered, sitting down and trying to focus on Giles. "Oh," he realised, seeing Angel opposite from him. "Peaches is here. Marvellous."

Angel rolled his eyes. "Spike, why don't you-"

"Shut up!" Buffy exclaimed. "Giles."

"Thank you." Giles sighed, an expression of supreme annoyance flashing across his face. "As I was _trying_ to say, thanks to Angel-" Spike snorted. "I have received the Elkean scrolls. They are scrolls that were long thought to be lost to mankind, written by the Elkean people, notoriously wise and well known for their prophetic abilities. They talk of various events around these few years. Some have already come, such as the Ascension," 

   Buffy gasped. "They predicted that?"

Giles nodded. "And the Master. That I have managed to decode. However, the events for this year are much more muddled. The increase in vampiric activity, which Buffy has mentioned, already indicates something is coming. And we can be moderately certain that the Elkean scrolls will give us details of that. If I can just decode them." Giles sighed. "There is, however, one part that I have managed to fully decode. It reads as follows: Kucharawa ogneefor fuiesse sangluoo deucondai. Machiachevor ushandi fuiesse vinite ourravi mannado. Which," He fumbled for his glasses and put them on, "I have translated as: The chosen one will become two. Their coming together will determine the outcome of the battle and of man." He looked up at them, his eyes serious.

   A hush fell over the room and everyone looked at Buffy and Leia, who stared at each other.

"Now hold on a minute, I'm lost," Spike shook his head. Giles rolled his eyes. "What has happened here? Have I missed something? Who's she?" He pointed to Leia.

    Leia bristled, and opened her mouth to speak, but Giles cut her off. "This is my niece, Leia. The Council kept her in England and away from me, because she is a Slayer. She was called because Faith died, and she escaped the Council to come here. She arrived yesterday. But this was no accident; the Scrolls have foretold her coming as pivotal in the outcoming of whatever will happen."

    "But…"Buffy's voice trailed off as she voiced the question everyone wanted to ask. "Is that good…or bad?"

There was a pause, and Giles couldn't look at Leia. "I don't know. I just don't know."


	8. Chapter 8

***

Two nights later Buffy and Leia were on patrol. They walked in silence side by side amongst the tombstones near the crypt in the Havering Park cemetery, until they reached the street. The silence was not comfortable, however. It was tense and full of question. Buffy was more then a little worried about the other Slayer; and indeed herself. She liked Leia; she couldn't deny it. She had bonded easily with her and found a source of comfort in the girl's wisdom and her cool, analytical mind. Leia was a good listener and never probed Buffy to say more then she wanted to. But at the same time a thought kept growing inside Buffy and she was finding it harder and harder to ignore it; what if the outcome that Leia's coming determined was a failure? What if the two of them working together led to destruction rather then success? The thought that her own fate was pre-ordained was creepy enough. This new added twist was even more frightening. Buffy was not used to depending on someone else; she took control of her own destiny. She'd defied the fates with the Master, hadn't she? But it was Leia's own presence that seemed to be the turning point in this war. Also her old fears about trusting another Slayer were creeping in. What if her own instinct that Leia was trustworthy proved to be wrong? What if, what if. Buffy's mind buzzed with them while Leia did her best to battle the doubts she was feeling. The loneliness that she had felt since Giles told the group was agonising. Leia had gone within herself once again not allowing herself to hope, aware that until Giles deciphered the full context of the Elkean passage about this "happening" that she would not be fully trusted. And it pained her. But she kept on her outward face of insouciance. Besides, she could not allow her mind to wander until she was off patrol. Struggling to concentrate, she pushed all thoughts to the back of her mind and in stead focused on the task at hand. 

     Buffy, however, was so deep in her thoughts that she did not sense the demon stealthily creeping up behind her. She only heard the crack of metal on the back of her head before everything went black.

***

Angel wandered aimlessly down the passageway that used to be the Mayor's old headquarters. After the Ascension the building had been temporarily closed while the Council decided what to make of all the surprising and supernatural content found in there: the references to the occult, items for use in magicks etc. Then the vampires who had been working for the mayor, the ones that had survived, had been unwilling to give up their residence. Hence the building still being closed to the public; the vampires had dispatched of the guards and since then inhabited it. 

    Angel had sneaked in, not that he wasn't up for dispatching a few vamps himself, but he did like to do things quietly and without fuss. He had a lead that told him the Mayor had known about the Elkean scrolls and of their content, and since his office remained in tact, Angel decided to check it out. He wasn't usually one for following leads on a whim, but he also knew never to underestimate the power of the Mayor; and even beyond the grave the knowledge he had possessed was impressive. 

   He had found the office mainly empty; the vamps had torn the place apart and taken what could be used or sold. However, although it did not reflect well on him, his kind were not known for their intelligence, and he did not expect any information of use to be in English. Therefore the vampires would not have considered it of any value, and if there was any information in the office, Angel supposed it would still be here. He searched fruitlessly for a while, and then he gave the desk in the centre of the room a cursory glance. A little obvious, Angel thought, but why not? He rootled through the drawers of the desk and was about to give up when he saw a black leather tube, the sort of casing usually used for rolled up high-school diplomas or photos, in the corner of the bottom drawer. He opened it and slowly unravelled a piece of faded parchment tied together by a crimson velvet ribbon. In excitement, he tried to read it, but found that the language was too primitive. He managed to pick a few words out of the dialect, but not enough to make any sense. Quickly he turned the parchment over and observed it carefully, assessing it with his hands and eyes. It was certainly of the right to age, but he knew he couldn't be sure. He would take it to Giles and hopefully it would be of some help.

    Satisfied that there was nothing else there, he had left the office. And now he was in the passageway, wondering which was the best way to leave without encountering any of the inhabitants of the building. His mind was clouded with thoughts of Buffy as he walked down the corridor. He remembered when he had popped up here, offering his help. When the only thing I wanted to do was hold her, he remembered. And that feeling had not changed now. He sighed. What was he doing here, anyway? His job was done. He should have been on his way, and back to LA by now. But he couldn't tear himself away. Nor could he tear the thought away from his mind, the one that got stronger, the more and more time he spent with her. You belong here, it told him. You belong with her. The absurdity of his thoughts suddenly hit him, and he let out a mirthless chuckle. "You're a fool." He told himself quietly. She wouldn't want him to stay. There was no room for him in her life anymore. She had a boyfriend who could give her what she deserved out of life. He had once told himself he would let her find her life without him, the life she deserved, even if it killed him. The only problem was, he was starting to believe that it _was_ killing him. He had never dreamt that being near her again could hurt so much. Or that he would long for her so much. Angel knew that if he stayed here much longer he would end up doing something that he would regret. And he knew he certainly couldn't bring himself to leave. Which left him in a sort of Catch 22 situation. She had found the sun.

    His ears pricked up as he sensed a crowd of vamps coming closer to him, drawing near. Angel thought quickly. He could fight them; that wouldn't be much of a problem, and then leave the way he had intended to…but. When the others in this building found them dead, they would get suspicious, and start searching for the intruder, or what he had taken. Angel shook his head. It was too risky; if word got out about the Elkean scrolls then every bounty hunter in the country would be looking for them. Looking hastily behind him for a way out, he spotted an air vent. In the blink of an eye, he had pulled the front off and swung himself up and into it, putting it back in place just as the vamps rounded the corner.

    "Stupid," he chided himself, watching them going by through the slats in the vent. This is what happened when he thought of Buffy; he lost all sense. He had nearly got himself killed so many times when he had been thinking of her and things had sneaked up on him. Angel shook his head violently, trying to force all thoughts of her out of his mind. It was no good, he would have to speak to her. But not now. Now he had to focus on getting out. The airshaft seemed to be heading upwards, towards to roof. That was fine, then he could climb down the fire escape down the side. He began to climb.

***

Leia sensed someone behind Buffy before she did. "Look out!" She whirled round, the sound dying on her lips as Buffy slumped to the floor in front of her.

   Behind Buffy stood a Korvlak demon, a powerful beast with a large metal axe in his hand, the handle with which he had knocked Buffy out. 

   "You're going to wish you hadn't done that," Leia hissed.

The Korvlak demon merely chuckled, a low throaty rumble echoing around the alleyway. "I think not, Slayer."

Leia froze. But this was impossible! How could he possibly know…? Cold fingers squeezed at her heart as she turned around slowly, realising she was surrounded by four other Korvlak demons. Pushing down any fear, she decided to bluff. It was the only weapon she really had against five Korvlak demons. They were well known for their speed and incredible strength, but less so for their intelligence…She had to get to Buffy before they did anything else to her. But they would know that was her intention, she would have to fool them, somehow.

    So she made like she was going to run past the Korvlak demon, and leave Buffy.

"After her!" One of the Korvlaks behind her roared.

She bolted past, a plan and strategy forming in her mind. At the last moment, just before she reached the Korvlak behind Buffy, she veered off to the right, and praying to god that she could still do this, charged up the wall which had been to her side.

   She hung there at right angles to the wall for a second, tensing every muscle in her legs and her abdomen before she flipped backwards off the wall, pushing as hard as she could with the tips of her toes.

    Leia landed perfectly, to her amazement, right in front of the also amazed Korvlak demon that had hit Buffy and was now standing by her unconscious form. Before he had time to react she grabbed the battle-axe from his stunned grip and with a loud "thunk!" chopped his head off. It rolled along the floor and landed at the foot of one of the Korvlaks. Keeping hold of the axe, she brushed a strand of sweaty hair out of her face, wondering why the other four made no move to attack and continue the fight.

 They began to close in on her as she stood in front of Buffy. 

    "You have killed one of our kind," One of the Korvlaks in front of her growled. "Before it was just business. You have made it personal, Slayer."

   Leia looked down at Buffy. Her heart tightened as she saw a long trickle of blood on Buffy's forehead. "What business was that?" She asked, desperately trying to keep her voice steady, and keep them talking. The truth was she was beginning to feel incredibly panicked. Four against one was never good odds. But when it's Korvlaks you face… the odds begin to get critical. She would attack and take that chance, but she couldn't leave Buffy like this. She didn't want to think what they would do to her.

 "Shut up!" The Korvlak in the middle hit the one who had just spoken around the back of the head. "It _is just business. We have strict instructions and our payment will be great."_

   "But-" The Korvlak who had just spoken began.

"SILENCE!" he roared. This Korvlak seemed to be the leader, Leia noticed.

While these two were bickering, one of the other two made a move for Buffy.

Leia hit him in the face with the back of her axe. "You don't come near her," She snarled.

"Don't be stupid," The leader moved in, ignoring his friend's cry of pain. He motioned for the rest of them to move with him, until Leia's back was nearly against the wall of the alleyway. "We have you cornered, Slayer."

   "Then why don't you just kill me?" Leia retorted. "Because over my dead body is going to be the only way you get your hands on Buffy."

    "Because these were not our instructions."

"Your instructions from who?" Leia spat, not budging an inch from in front of Buffy.

The Korvlak leader laughed. "We have a proposition for you, Slayer."

   "What's that?" Leia said through gritted teeth, bristling.

"You have put up quite a fight tonight. This much was expected. However, we were not told to expect such protection to the other Slayer," The Korvlak mused.

  "What can I say?" Leia shot back, her back arched in fear that she was trying to hide. "We've bonded."

"The Council did not expect this."

***

  Angel reached the roof and was hit by the cold night air. He made his way to the side of the roof when the sounds of a commotion from the alley caught his attention. Walking over to the side, his eyes grew wide in shock and fear at what he saw.

    Buffy lying motionless on the floor was the first thing that caught his attention. He made a move instantly to swing his leg over the side of the building, climb down and rescue her. The Korvlaks attentions were on Leia, he could get Buffy out of there. But something made him stop.

     Leia flipped over the Korvlaks heads and landed squarely in front of the one guarding Buffy. With lightning speed she had his axe out of his hands and had lopped his head off in one fell swoop.

    Snarling like a lioness protecting her cub, she lunged in front of Buffy and stood there, breathing heavily. She reminded him of a cat caught in the headlights of a car; her eyes were huge and her hair was sticking to her face, but the expression she wore was one of grim protection as she hissed at the demons to keep away from her wounded counter-part.

    Angel was quite stunned. He was never one to jump to conclusions, but after what Giles had said the other day about the significance of Leia's coming had caused doubts to creep in. He knew that doubts had crept into all of their minds, as Anya had pointed out later after Buffy and Leia had left to patrol and they had begun to talk about them: "The prophecy could mean that Leia being here is going to lead to failure."

   "Anya!" Willow had remonstrated, horrified. 

"Oh, come on." Anya shook her head. "Don't tell me that you weren't all thinking it."

Willow opened her mouth to protest, but found herself falling silent, as did the others sitting round the table. Except for Oz, Angel remembered.

    "I wasn't." Oz shrugged easily.

"Really?" Willow looked incredibly guilty. "I'm a bad person."

"Nah." Oz squeezed her shoulder. "It's just in my book, she's innocent until proven guilty."

Angel admired Oz. He was obviously a stronger person then the rest of them, more humanitarian somehow. Angel was ashamed with himself for feeling the way he did, but he couldn't help it. None of the other Slayers apart from Buffy had ever done him any favours.

     And now he was watching Leia, spying on her. She could have got away, he realised. She could have left Buffy and saved her own skin, but she was still standing there. But for how long? He wondered. 

    At the mention of the council, he watched the colour drain out of her face until it was deathly pale under the sickly florescent yellow glow of the street lamp.

    "What about the council?" She managed, her voice coming out unnaturally high. "Did they send you here?" Her jaw was rigid with tension.

   "They know you're here, Slayer," The leader growled. "They'll punish you if you don't do what they want. But they have a proposition for you: a way for you to redeem yourself."

   Leia didn't say a word. She stared at him, her face betraying no flicker of emotion.

"You can fight me and I will capture you, and then I will take you to them, where you will begin your punishment. Or, you can escape all of that," The Korvlak demon continued, "By turning this girl, this other Slayer" He pointed to Buffy's foot, where peeked out from behind Leia "Over to them."

   Still Leia said nothing, and Angel's heart stopped. After all Leia had been through, she would obviously not want to go back to the council. But surely she was not considering turning Buffy over to them? 

     After an eternity, Angel decided he had had enough. If she was going to betray Buffy then obviously all the suspicions that had crept in about her were true. He prepared to climb down the ladder when he heard her speak.

   "Take me instead." Leia still did not move from Buffy's side. Buffy had a life here. She had friends, she had love. She had a life. It was Leia herself's fault that all this had come upon Buffy and her friends; it was her coming here that started all this. If this sort of trouble was happening on only her third day here, then the final consequences could not be good. She would accept her fate alone and she'd be damned if she dragged anyone else into it. 

   She swallowed hard. "I'll come with you, quietly. I won't put up a fight. But on one condition. We get Buffy back to her house. We can leave her there, on the doorstep. I won't try and resist; I won't try and get help. But Buffy is safe."

    The Korvlak leader tipped his head on one side and regarded her for a moment, and Leia thought he would accept. Then he threw back his head and smiled at her, a long, evil smile. "Such bravery! It really would be most touching. However, Slayer, this is not the deal. Either you turn her over, or you both come. It is not a swap. You will do the councils bidding and allow them to have this girl, either way."

    "Oh and I suppose they'll give her milk and cookies when she gets there?" Leia snapped, clenching her hands tightly around the axe.

   "Oh no." His grin stretched even wider, saliva dripping grotesquely from his decaying fangs. "I should imagine they'll destroy her. I know one thing; there is to be only one Slayer.  But we are only hired thugs, you can both ask them when you arrive there."

    Leia's shoulders slumped, and she looked at the floor. 

"So what'll it be? Will you come readily or will I fight you? It makes no difference to me."

She was defeated. Shoulders slumped, she whispered reluctantly "You win. Take her. Leave me."

Angel was aghast. She was giving up; and when the chips were down she was saving her own skin. He climbed down the ladder as fast and as quietly as he could, his body screaming out in terror for Buffy.

    As the Korvlaks moved forward, the leader told her: "The Council will be in touch with further instructions."

    Leia picked Buffy up and cradled her in her arms, whimpers coming from her to illustrate that she was crying. As the Korvlak leaned forward to take her, she looked up and he realised too late that her eyes were dry. It had all been a ploy. She smiled maliciously. "Didn't you hear what I said?" 

 Leia headbutted him full in the face and the creature screamed out in pain and fury. "Over!" Still holding Buffy, she swung the axe with one hand and took off his head. "My!" She lashed out at another demon with her foot "Dead!" and punched the third as he rushed her with her free hand, striking him in the throat "Body!" She finished, as they crashed to the ground, leaving her face to face with the leader.

    His lips were bared in a savage grin as he charged towards her. Leia stared at him for a moment, then, seeing the other two stagger to their feet beside him, out of blind panic, did the only thing she could think to do: she turned on her heel and ran.

    With Buffy in her arms she jumped over a pile of dustbins on their side and bolted down the alleyway out into the deserted street. She could hear the three demons gaining on her, almost feel their hot, rancid breath on the back of her neck. Her heart was pounding in her ears so hard that she was almost deafened. She didn't think she'd ever been more frightened in her life…all the horrors she faced as a Slayer, combined with the threat of the Council and going back to the life she used to live, were too much for her to battle. 

   Suddenly she realised the noise behind her had stopped. Slowly, dread rising in her, she turned around. Then she did a double take as she took in the slain carcasses of the demons a little way behind her. A dark and shadowy figure was making his way towards her. She swallowed, hard…and then her fear melted away as Angel stepped out into the light.

    "Angel!" She burst out. "I'm so glad to see you."

Angel smiled, and she found it hard to read his expression. He looked…grateful. "Thank you," He said quietly, as he stepped forward and looked down at Buffy in her arms. "I saw what you did down there." He eased Buffy out of her arms and held her against his chest.

   "You better get her to a hospital," Leia said.

At that moment, Buffy stirred a little, mumbling incoherently. Angel felt her forehead carefully, and the back of her head. "I think she's just out cold…" He discerned. Then he looked at her. "You've got a few cuts. Are you okay?"

 Leia chose to ignore his thanks earlier, and nodded, assuming her job was over now he was here. She thought he probably wouldn't trust her to look after Buffy. " We better take her back to her house." 

Leia marched off ahead and they soon reached Buffy's house. Joyce was out of town, so Angel laid Buffy on her bed and Leia went to get medical supplies. She laid them on the bed.

   Angel looked up. "I meant that earlier," He told her. "Thank you."

She shrugged. "It was nothing." Her expression was unintelligible as she looked down at Buffy and him, and then she turned to leave the room.

"Leia…just stop for a minute." Angel trying to reach out to the girl, to communicate with her so that he could tell her how desperately sorry he was. "Take a deep breath. Stop trying to pretend everything's alright."

   When she looked at him her eyes were moist. "They've found me." She said dully. She seemed shell-shocked.

He stood up and put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "It's okay," He soothed. "It'll be okay. We're all here, you won't be alone."

   She shook him off, looking at him with hurt. "No, you're not. I'm not stupid, Angel! I know everyone's been wondering about me since Giles read the prophecy. And I know more then you think; I'm not just intuitive, I don't just _think_ everyone's been suspicious and I don't just _imagine_ that I've been isolated- I know."

   Angel didn't know that the true meaning of her words were literal- she had seen in the souls of the people around her what they were thinking. But he knew that the girl had been shunned and everyone had been strained around her since that day, and hot waves of shame cascaded over him as he realised he was partly to blame. He had to tell her the truth. "You're right."

   This took Leia by surprise. "Wha-…you mean you admit it?"

"Yes. I admit how I _felt._" He emphasised the word, hoping she would understand. Angel focused his serious brown eyes on her. "Leia, I am so sorry for the way that I, and everyone else has been acting. It wasn't fair to you. But we didn't know how to handle what we heard."

   Leia snorted. "You feel sorry but still believe the same things about me," She said sarcastically. "I'm sorry, but that doesn't make me feel much better."

  "No, Leia," He shook his head. "I saw what you did down there. I'm only sorry I didn't realise before- you were prepared to go back to that life you led just to keep Buffy safe. And you risked your life more then once trying to save her. You did these things selflessly with no thought of reward. Leia, that's more then the mark of a nice person. That's the mark of a hero." His eyes fell on the girl on the bed. "Like Buffy."


	9. Chapter 9

***

So Angel and Leia made their peace. After talking for a while, Angel declared he would set the rest of the group straight on the whole affair and they would see the light like they did. He refused to listen to any of her fears, just kept repeating to her "You're going to be okay." He also told her of what he had found at the mayors, and they both shared their hopes that this would prove useful. After telling her to get some rest, he informed her not to worry and that he was going to stay the night so that if anything else _did happen, he would be there._

    Leia left them alone after that. Buffy would stir soon and she sensed the two of them would talk. Good, she thought. There was too much tension at the moment, too many worrying, unresolved feelings.

***

Buffy opened her eyes. Everything seemed fuzzy; her head felt sticky and she reached a hand up to touch it. As her vision cleared she stared into a pair of worried brown eyes that were peering over her.

       She blinked, and took in the scene. Her right hand was in Angels; both of his were clasped round it and he was leaning on both elbows onto her bed in a concerned, protective way. He immediately leaned back when he saw she was awake, but kept his hands around hers. "Buffy?" He asked softly. "Are you okay?"

Buffy sat up blearily, and propped herself back on the pillows, not letting go of his hand. "My head hurts," She admitted, fumbling for the lamp switch and squinting as light flooded the room. She sank back into the pillows and swallowed, trying to get rid of the dry, stale taste in her mouth. She looked at her right hand, and saw that the fingertips had come back slightly tinged with red. With blood…

    "Oh god!" Buffy shot up again, hitting the back of her head painfully against the wall. She didn't pause. "Leia!" She made a move to bolt out of bed. "Angel, we have to-"

"It's okay, Leia's alright," Angel put an arm across her and gently pushed her back against the pillows. He looked at her seriously. "She's okay."

   "But you didn't see!" Buffy exclaimed, a picture flooding into her mind of what she had seen before she had slumped to the floor. "There were like four ginormous demons! Oh God, I'm so dumb!" She winced as she felt around the back of her head. "I can't believe how stupid I was…I was totally spaced out and then they just pounced on me. She couldn't possibly have fought them alone…"  
 Angel smiled. "You'd be surprised what you Slayers can manage under pressure…she managed to behead two of them."

   "Really? Alone?" Buffy asked incredulously. "That's amazing!"

"While guarding you," Angel said pointedly. "And there were five, not four."

"Ouch," Buffy winced again. "Don't make me feel worse then I already do."

Angel shook his head. "That's not what I was trying to do," He told her. Then he gave her a questioning look; that look that always penetrated her and made her want to examine everything she had ever done and find out if the motives were pure. Angel always brought out that in her; he always, always made her want to do better. She was never content with the way she had dealt with things when he looked at her like that, she always wished she could change something. She didn't think about how much she had liked that feeling before, that challenge. Instead, she forced herself to be irritated by his piety.

    He didn't speak. "What?" Buffy challenged. "Come on Angel, I can tell when you are dying to give me a lecture."

Angel looked at her, hurt in his eyes. "That's not what I was trying to do either," He said quietly, looking at her for a second, before looking down at his hands.

Guilt flooded through Buffy and it was unbearable. She was only picking on him because she felt so bad about being careless on patrol and putting Leia in danger…and because she wanted him so much. "I'm sorry," Buffy said hastily, squeezing his hand. "I'm just a little grouchy… being knocked unconscious will do that to you." He looked up and she tried to smile as brightly as she could. "I didn't mean it."

    His face relaxed and a trace of a smile appeared on his face. "I know," Angel said softly. Then he cleared his throat. "Actually, I was just going to talk to you about Leia…about the way we've all been treating her recently."

    Buffy closed her eyes for a second. "It's been bad."

"Yes, it has. And that's why I'm not lecturing you Buffy…I treated her the same myself," He admitted. "We all doubted her and thought bad might come of her being here."

   Buffy nodded, ashamed.

"But Buffy…" Angel continued. "Leia saved your life. And she did more then that," He hastened to finish as Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him, surprised. "Buffy, those demons were sent as bounty hunters from the Council. "

   Horror flooded Buffy's face. "No," She whispered. "Leia…"

Angel interrupted her, wanting her to hear the whole tale. "They were sent for you two. Both of you. They told Leia that if she fought, they would capture her and she would be severely punished when she was taken back to Council. Or, she could hand you over and escape punishment. They offered it as a way to redeem herself."

  He paused for a moment, giving Buffy as chance to digest this. She looked at him, still struggling to take it all in. "So what did she do? Did she fight them?"

Angel shook his head. "She wouldn't let them come near you, she stood in front of you after beheading one of the demons and held his axe in her hands. And then…and then she told them to take her instead. That she would go with them without a fight if they would promise her that you would be taken home and you would be safe."

    Buffy's eyes widened and she felt a lump grow in her throat. "Oh my god," She whispered, her cheeks flushing with shame. 

   "That's not all."

"There's more?" She asked, clenching his hand and looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"They said no. They said that you either came with a struggle and they would take both of you anyway, or she handed you over to them. So she set a trap for them, made out she was going to hand you over and then took them by surprise. Even though she knew she couldn't win, she still fought them anyway. She managed to behead another one and send the other two to the floor, but they got up and she knew she couldn't fight three of them. This was with you in her arms. She was doing it all with one hand," Angel added wryly. "It would've been funny if it wasn't so awful. So she just scooped you up in her arms and ran."

     Buffy started to ask another question, but then something struck her. "Wait a minute…" She said slowly. "How do you know all this?"

    "Uh…" Angel stuttered. Finally he sighed and admitted, "I was there. Watching from the rooftop. I'd been checking out the mayor's office when I heard some noise in the alley. I went over to see and…well…I was gonna go down and help but something made me stop. I guess…"He looked down at the floor. "I guess I wanted to see her reaction."

   "Angel!" Buffy said sharply. "That's a horrible thing to do!"

"I know."

"Not to mention dangerous!" Buffy ranted. "We could have both been killed!"

"I know!" Angel exclaimed, holding up a hand. His dark eyes were cavernous and huge with guilt. "Believe me, I know," He muttered. "No-one can feel worse about this then I do. But she…she proved me wrong. She proved all of us wrong."

    There was a silence for a minute as they both thought about the terrible way they had acted.

"Anyway," Angel burst in indignation after a couple of seconds. "I came through in the end! I killed the other three demons."

   "Oh you did, did you?" Buffy smiled.

"And I was worried sick about you Buffy," Angel carried on. "I was… paralysed with fear." 

 Then the smile fell from her lips, and she said softly, looking up at him, "Thank you."

There was something about Buffy's eyes that always killed him. They were wide and unnerving…clear and beautiful. Like her. When she looked at him like that, he thought that he would die a thousand times just to come back to her. Okay, so it was a little dramatic, the way he felt, so sue him. He'd been through enough to justify a little drama. And his feelings for her were the themes of a dramatic production in themselves: Passionate, deep, confusing, painful, and absolutely spellbinding.

    As Angel gazed at her, Buffy felt her heart stop. Amongst all the confusion around her, the way she felt for him seemed to be the only thing that was standing out as clear as day in her mind. And it was the only thing that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to make as clear to him. That they should be together. She sighed and looked away.

    Touching her head, she noticed that her fingers were dark with blood. "My head's bleeding," She mumbled. "Figures." Like my heart, she thought. 

    "Uh, Buffy?" Angel asked, and when she looked up he was flushed. With what? Heat? Embarrassment? He almost looked shy. "I'll go and get you some more bandages for that head." He exited the room hastily and Buffy let out a deep, shuddering breath.

    When he returned, Buffy's eyes were closed. He paused, not sure if he was grateful or disappointed that she was asleep. Maybe it was for the best; he would put her bandages on and then try and get some sleep, before these feelings had an opportunity to spill over. Hopefully he wouldn't dream about her, like he did most nights.

    Buffy felt gentle fingers swabbing at her forehead, and she could not help a deep sigh escape from her body. She tried not to stir as Angel fixed her up, figuring it would be easier if she just lay still and avoided any confrontation of her emotions.

     As he finished up, Angel studied her face, calm in sleep. The long eyelashes were resting on high cheekbones and a strand of golden hair was resting on her perfect pink mouth. He brushed it out of the way tenderly, not wanting to disturb her while he gazed at her delicate features. His heart lurched in the face of such beauty. She had always reminded him of an angel, but even more so in sleep…he had always loved to watch her sleep. It made him feel peaceful. He gritted his teeth as he mustered every ounce of self-restraint trying not to touch her. Then Angel gave in and relaxed. After all, she was asleep…slowly he leaned down and closed his eyes, wanting to pretend that she was his, just for a moment.

    Buffy was trying very hard not to move but it was hard when a strand of hair was tickling her mouth. She desperately wanted to brush it away but didn't want alert Angel that she was awake…and then she froze as he brushed it away for her. The touch of his fingers sent shivers of electricity down to her toes…her stomach flew up to her mouth and her body tensed at his nearness. He'll go away soon, he'll go away soon, she told herself frantically, willing herself to just hold on. It was unbearable. Then she felt a long, soft kiss on her cheek and his voice whispering good night. She opened her eyes.

    Angel raised his head from Buffy and was surprised when he saw her eyes wide open and looking at him, also surprised. For a few seconds they stared at each other. 

   "Buffy I-" Angel started, hoping that she wasn't mad.

"Shhh." Buffy put a trembling finger to his lips. She didn't care if this was wrong or right anymore. "You talk too much." Painfully she raised herself up onto her elbows. She didn't care that her head and her ribs all cried out in protest. The only thing she cared about right now was sitting right in front of her. She looked at him for a moment. He didn't make a move to stop her. Then again, he didn't make a move towards her. She reached a hand around the back of his head and slowly brought her face to meet his.

     The moment their lips touched Angel was lost. All resolutions and thoughts slipped away and it was all he could do to keep himself from crushing Buffy to him. He pulled her tighter and her fingers clamped down on the back of his neck as their tongues entwined in pure need. 

    The kiss lasted for a long time, but for Angel it wasn't enough. As they pulled away, they were both shaking.

"I'm sorry," Buffy muttered.

Angel took a deep breath. "Buffy. I've been wanting to do that since I first got here."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Really?" She breathed, and then looked down at her hands, twisting them in her lap. When she met his eyes again she was smiling, half-embarrassed, half pleased. "I thought it was just me."

"No, but Buffy…" He sighed.

"Oh, I knew there was going to be a but," Buffy said sarcastically.

"Buffy." He looked at her reproachfully, and then reminded her," You have a boyfriend."

Buffy froze, looking bewildered and hurt. She knew he hadn't said it as a cheap shot to hurt her, but that he was feeling guilty. Although Angel hated Riley, he still wasn't the type to interfere with a woman that was another man's. But she hadn't ever belonged to Riley, not really…her hands flew to her throat. "Oh God," she gasped. "What must you think of me…" Her lip trembled.

   "Shhh." Angel gathered her against his chest. "Buffy," He murmured. "I'm not mad at you. I don't think any less of you. I don't think I ever could."

   Her muffled voice was pained. "But I always make such a mess of everything!"

He pushed away from her, his hands on his shoulders so he could look into her eyes. "No. It's not you," Angel shook his head regretfully. "It's my fault. Do you wanna know a secret?" He tried to lighten the tone, grinning at her. "I make mistakes all the time."

   Buffy smiled and sniffed, wiping her eyes. "You? The all-wise Angel?" Her face darkened with sadness. "I guess one of them was kissing me just now."

   "No. That was me trying to do something right, for a change." Angel reached out and touched her face. Again, Buffy felt her stomach turn somersaults. He clenched his fists and looked away. When he looked back, she was amazed to see tears in his eyes. "I think the biggest mistake I made was nearly two years ago. When I…when I left here. When I left you."

    Buffy was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She just stared at him, unable to believe her ears.

"I know," Angel continued. "Now that I've realised my own stupidity, I have no right to barge back in here. You have a life and a boyfriend. But…I can't bear to leave you. Not until you give me a reason." His dark eyes were full of hope, but at the same time, pain. "I want you to think about how you feel. If you're perfectly happy now and have no interest in me, then I'll understand and I'll go away. But…well…if you do feel something for me and you wanted to…I was hoping we could maybe give it another try." He swallowed hard, and got up. "But I'm not going to crowd you. I want you to take your time and think. I'll understand whatever you choose."

   Buffy was silent, but finally she nodded. "I don't want to lose you, Angel."

"You'll never lose me," Angel told her seriously. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what. This…this bond between us…it'll never go away. The funny thing is," He smiled wryly, "Is that I thought I could make it. Thought that if I stretched it far enough by leaving, by the distance, that it would snap. But it hasn't. And it won't." He stopped smiling and his mouth curved downwards sadly. Then he looked back up at her, and, stammering a little, he continued. "Now I…I'm going to go." He looked at her quickly before leaving, saying over his shoulder, "You should get some rest. I'm staying the night so Leia and you will not be alone. And Buffy…."He paused in the doorway a second. "Just think about it."

With that, he left the room. Buffy touched her fingers to her lips, still unable to believe what had just happened. She realised she had a big, big problem. So what's new? She thought, and fell back against the bed, prepared for a night of tossing and turning.


	10. Chapter 10

***

    Making her way around the kitchen, after getting ready for bed, and noting the raised voices coming from Buffy's room, Leia pulled out a carton of juice and was pouring herself a glass when she heard a creak behind her. She spun around, spilling most of the juice on the counter. Then she let out a sigh of relief, and rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's _you_."

   Spike shut the front door behind him and walked into the kitchen. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked him, mopping up her juice in annoyance.

He didn't answer her for a moment. Instead he stared at her from behind; looking at her long, smooth, lily-white legs barely covered by a baggy black t-shirt.

   "Spotted some Korvlak demons dead near the cemetery. Came to tell Buffy."

"Yeah well, we already fought that fight." As she turned to face him, he saw a bruise under her left eye. She hardly even looked at him, as she threw away the empty carton of juice and got another one out of the fridge. Spike craned his neck and licked his lips as she leaned up to get a piece of fruit out of the cupboard and he saw the underside of her bottom, and the faint purpling of bruises on the insides of her soft thighs.

   She could feel the heat of his gaze on her and gritted her teeth. She didn't like him, she had decided the other day after the meeting. He was rude and impertinent, and he had no respect for anything. 

   Again she turned round. And he wasn't _that good-looking, anyway. He needed his head deflating._

From where he was leaning casually against the table, he took slow steps towards her. "We weren't properly introduced the other day," He drawled lazily, looking her up and down in an idle but suggestive way that made Leia feel uncomfortable. Shaking it away with a toss of her head, she tilted her chin in the air defiantly. "Leia, was it?"

   She looked at him with ill-concealed irritation. "My name would be Leia, yes."

Spike moved closer to her, and the silence of the room became deafening with intensity. Again she was reminded of a predator. "Leia, eh?" Spike murmured, staring into her eyes. Their bodies were nearly touching. "Parents big fans of Star Wars, luv?" He asked teasingly, almost condescendingly, reaching forward and fingering one of the dark strands of hair.

    Leia had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. This guy was _such_ a jerk! Running her tongue over her teeth while she considered her options, she realised she could have some fun with him. Her anger turned to amusement, and a slow smirk spread across her lips. 

   She lifted his hand out of her hair slowly, and, still smirking, she dropped it like a dead weight. "No, my parents were pretty big fans of Leia, the Shamirian War god, _actually." Smiling sweetly and tipping her head to one side, she carried on lightly, "Spike, eh? Parents big fans of cheap porno's, _luv?_" Widening her smile innocently, she patted his shoulder and slid out past him, taking care not to touch him as she left._

    He stood there with his mouth open, until he heard a stifled giggle come from the doorway. He looked up and realised Angel was standing there and had seen the whole thing. He was also smirking; Spike wanted to punch the smarmy grin right off his face. Spluttering, Spike remained there, still unable to say a word. He was gobsmacked.

   "She shot you down good," Angel cackled. "Bet you never thought you'd find someone with a faster mouth then you, eh, porno boy!" Snickering now and shaking his head in amusement, Angel left the room.

  Rage and embarrassment forming inside him, finally Spike managed to recover from his speechlessness, only to blurt out furiously, to an empty room, "What a_ bitch_!"

***

After about an hour, Buffy lay on her back staring at the ceiling. "This is ridiculous!" She burst, piercing the silence.

   "Really?" Leia entered, reading a book. "And why is that?"

Buffy jumped, sitting bolt upright on her bed. She snapped on the light hurriedly. "Jesus!" She put a hand over her chest queasily. "Leia, you scared me."

   "Sorry," Leia shrugged, leaning against the wall in the doorway. "I just wanted to check you're alright."

"I'm okay," Buffy rested against the bedstead wearily. "Got a huge bump, but I'll be okay." Suddenly she remembered and everything flooded back to her. "Oh, god, Leia, I am so sorry about what happened earlier."

  Leia looked at her quizzically, a little surprised. "But why on earth should you be sorry?"

   "I was totally zoning," Buffy said fretfully. "If I had been concentrating on what we were doing it never would have happened. I would have known he was behind me, and I wouldn't have flaked out and left you on your own…" She raised her head and stared at Leia unhappily. "I screwed up."

   Leia shook her head, and smiled at Buffy. "It happens sometimes, if you've got a lot on your mind."

"Leia!" Buffy scowled. "Stop being so…"

"So…?" Leia prompted.

"Nice!" Buffy exclaimed. "After the way I treated you, you should have left me for demon meat." She looked at Leia squarely. "And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, either. Angel told me you had a talk about what happened. The way we were treating you was terrible. And then I got myself knocked out and left you to face five Korvlak demons," She said wryly. "Some friend I am."

   Leia paused for a moment, then sighed. "Buffy, I would've been acting the same if it'd have been someone else in that position, I'm sure. I'm not exactly going to be mad at you for being human, am I?"

   Buffy opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, thinking. Finally she said meekly, "Do you forgive me?"

Leia nodded. "Yes. I just…well, I want to find out what this prophecy means, once for all."

"It doesn't matter," Buffy stood up and walked over to her. "You understand? Whatever this prophecy says, from now on, me and you are a team." Leia regarded her, still unsure. "Leia, I mean it. I believe what my own eyes tell me from now on. No piece of paper is going to change my mind about you. If anything, you should change your mind about me," Buffy wrinkled her nose, "Since I've totally forgotten to even thank you for what you did…" She timidly reached out and wrapped her arms around the girl. Leia sighed and hugged Buffy back. 

   "Thank you," Buffy whispered.

"It's okay." They stood back, straightening themselves up. "After all," Leia's face creased into a grin. "I still owed you one for saving me from that vamp in the mall."

   "Not quite the same," Buffy told her, but she smiled back, happy and relieved.

"You really should rest," Leia said, a glint in her eye as she backed out the door. "It's been…an eventful night."

"Yeah," Buffy sighed. "Lying there unconscious really took it out of me."

"Mmm," Leia suppressed a grin. "I was thinking more about what happened after…"

Buffy groaned and flopped onto the bed. "You're not telling me that you know what happened with Angel."

"I wasn't sure that anything had _happened,_ persay," Leia admitted. Then she grinned. "But now I am."

Buffy tossed her a look. 

"Don't worry," Leia appeased her. "I wouldn't read you…I could hear you and Angel talking from down stairs." Then she corrected herself. "Well, I could, until Spike came in and filled the room with his fat head."

Buffy snorted, unable to stop herself from giggling. "I take it you're not Spike's biggest fan?" She asked, getting under the covers.

  "No," Leia grumbled. "He's, like, a _total_ deadbeat. Plus, he's actually dead."

"Why was he here, anyway?" Buffy asked.

"To tell us about the Korvlak demon corpses he found." Leia rolled her eyes. " I told him we'd already fought them."

  "_You'd_ already fought them," Buffy corrected her. 

"Ugh!" Leia gritted her teeth, not paying attention to what Buffy said. "He's just so…annoying, and perverse and he thinks he's _so good! Walkin' like he's all that, talkin' like he's all that, and wearing that __stupid coat."_

   "One that you have an almost carbon copy of," Buffy reminded her.

Leia glowered at her. "Well, I had it first," She mumbled.

"Breathe," Buffy instructed. "It's not good for you to get so worked up when there aren't any evil demons in the room to pound on."

 Leia took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she shook her head. "He just bugs me. You've got to admit everything I've said is true. He _really _gets to me."

   "Could be true," Buffy said diplomatically. "Or…maybe he's getting to you in a different way."

Leia shot her a look. "What."

"Well, y'know…" Buffy replied innocently. "Maybe you are really digging that walk, that talk…and that coat."

"What!" Leia shot up out of her seat in alarm. "Are you out of your mind?"

Buffy held up her hands. "Just a suggestion…"She murmured.

Leia fixed her with a look. "Well don't be getting any ideas. I am about as attracted to Spike as I am to that old wardrobe over there."

"Okay," Buffy grinned. "I get it, I get it."

"Yes, you better." Suddenly Leia smirked. "And since you're wide awake, young lady, you can tell me _all_ about what happened with you and Angel right now."

***

A few weeks passed. Riley came back into town and Buffy told him that she needed a break, time to think. He was hurt, but she assured him that she was just really busy with the new "mission". Of course, when he offered to help, she had to decline. And she also had to tell him Angel was back in town.

   She thought he had probably put two and two together but he was too nice a guy to assume anything unless she told him. She also knew that if both of the men were working side by side with her on patrol, she might go crazy. Angel was a too valuable part of the team not to have around her, anyway. So it was him, and not Riley, who accompanied her on patrol some nights.

  Luckily they had had a breakthrough. The parchment that Angel found _was_ about the Elkean scrolls, and it told them that the last part of the scroll, the part that they needed, was written in a specific dialect. In fact, the languages changed through out the scrolls for reasons of security. It was the only security measures the Elkeans had back then, Giles explained. Knowledge. Unfortunately, the last part was written in a language Giles couldn't read. Now they knew what language it _was, they would need to find a decoder of some sort. That was where they had drawn a blank. But now it seemed like that too was going to change. Buffy and Leia had gotten split up the night before on patrol and Leia had overheard some vampires talking about a vault they were going to rob. It was apparently in the sewers right where they were standing. It had been constructed recently by the vampire Master of the coven in New York, who was thinking about taking over here as well, and had brought a couple of dozen of his minions and fledglings with him. On the way, he had killed some priests and a museum curator. According to the vampires Leia was eavesdropping on, there was some incredibly valuable stuff among what they had been carrying. A stone tablet with etchings on it was particularly mysterious. Of course the Master had stolen everything and brought it with him. Knowing the value of his new goods, he had ordered them to construct the vault to store it in. These vampires had been among those building the vault, and seem pretty confident they could sneak in. Unfortunately, Leia had decided to dust them before they could get much further, taking the map they were holding as well._

    It was a long shot, but the tablet sounded like the description of the decoder. If not, there may be other items in the vault of use. They figured it was worth a look, anyhow. So Buffy was on her way to the Magic Box where she was meeting Leia, Angel and Spike. Not knowing how many vampires they would be expecting down there, Giles told them to take Angel and Spike for strength, rather then risk it just the two of them. 

    The door jangled as she walked in, and Leia was sitting on the table, with Spike and Angel standing behind Giles as he gave her some last minute prepping.

   "Also look for any books that might be down there," Giles told her anxiously. "I, ah, I'm not sure what the decoder _does_ exactly…how it works, what it entails…"

   "Doesn't sound like you know much, Giles," Spike interjected from behind him. "With respect."

"Shut up," Leia said, shooting him a poisonous look. "We need all the information we can get."

Spike made a clucking sound with his tongue. "Touchy, touchy," He mocked. "PMS, Slayer?"

"No." She shot back. "I'm feeling a little stressed because I've been informed I have an allergy. It makes me grouchy."

   "Really, an allergy to what?" Giles asked, cleaning his glasses. 

"Oh, nothing serious." Leia smiled at him sweetly. "Just an allergy to blonde blood-suckers. Especially if it's _dyed_ blonde: makes the suffering that little bit more acute."

  Giles suppressed a smile. Spike glared at her. "I don't have an allergy to _you_," He hissed. "I just don't _like_ you."

   "Ay yay yay!" Leia widened her eyes in mock surprise. Then she narrowed them and replied tartly, "Well, there is _that_ side to my allergy."

    "You know what-" Spike began, getting up so they were face to face, but Giles cut them off.

"That's enough, you two," He reprimanded sternly. "Buffy's here now, and we need to go over the final details of the plan."

  "Yeah, so belt up Slayer," Spike said childishly, turning his back on her. She rolled her eyes.

"You have the map, Leia?" Giles asked her.

She handed it over, trying to ignore Spike's eyes on her as she moved past him to give it to Giles.

"This map isn't very clear," Giles muttered, observing it from all angles.

"I know where it is," Angel offered.

"And Leia does, obviously," Giles took his glasses off, dangling them between his fingers carefully. "What about you Buffy?" She shook her head. "Spike?" 

Spike reached for the map, and looked at it for a second before replying, "No."

"Well, we already agreed you should split up, though it looks like it'll have to be in two groups." Giles nodded. "Are you all clear on what you have to do? Remember not to underestimate this Master. He might be very powerful. My contact in New York has not yet informed me with anything of interest however, so you'll just have to be cautious." He sighed, and looked first at Buffy, and then Leia. "Understand? _Cautious."_

   "Don't worry Giles," Buffy told him brightly. "Caution's my middle name!"

Giles groaned.

"We'll be fine, Uncle Rupe," Leia said, giving him a hug.

"Promise?"

She nodded and he sighed as he looked down at her. Spike, rolling his eyes, elbowed past them and stalked out of the shop. Giles disentangled himself, and patted both Buffy and Leia's shoulders. "Off you go, then."

"Just getting some more weapons," Leia told him, heading over to the box behind the bookshelf. She came back with the axe she intercepted from the Korvlak demon strapped across her back, and a sword in her hand.

   "What?" She asked them. "You never can have too many weapons."

"Stakes?" Giles checked.

Grinning, Buffy and Leia both lifted up their shirt sleeves to display a stake on each arm, and then turned round and lifted up the back to show two more by their waist.

   "Buffy showed me how to do it," Leia said happily. "Now we match!"

Groaning again, Giles watched the two Slayers exit as Buffy dragged Leia from the shop.


	11. Chapter 11

***

Spike and Angel were waiting for them outside. Spike was leaned against the wall, smoking a cigarette moodily. Angel was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking into the shop.

  He moved back as the two Slayers came out of the door. "Ready to go?" He asked Buffy.

"Yep, as soon as we've split into groups," She chirped. "Hmm…."She assessed the scene around her wickedly. "Obviously 'cause Leia and Angel both know where it is, they can't be in the same group. So I'm thinking…me and Angel, Leia and Spike?"

    "What?" Leia screeched.

"You're joking!" Spike sprung up from the wall, enraged. They both eyed each other with obvious dislike.

"Buffy," Leia said through gritted teeth.

Buffy smiled at her innocently. 

Spike eyed Angel warily. "Why can't me and the Poof go together?" Spike asked angrily. "He knows the way."

"Spike, I'm touched," Angel mimicked wiping away a tear.

Spike shot him a look of loathing.

"Because, Spike," Buffy shook her head, "Then it would be two Slayers together, and two vampires together. That just really doesn't make sense. We should pair together evenly."

 "She's right Spike," Angel put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "It's the only way."

Spike looked at the floor and let out a sigh of exasperation. Leia rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay." She mumbled. "We better split up. Me and Spike will take the back of the sewers."

"Okay," Buffy nodded, taking Angel's arm. "See you there. Have fun!" She winked at Leia over her shoulder.

"You're evil," Angel muttered as they walked away.

"Oh, please." Buffy shook her head. "_Someone_ had to force them to admit that they like each other."

Looking after them, Leia sighed and turned to Spike. Regarding him with annoyance for a second, she pursed her lips. "Coming?" She asked, striding off before he had a chance to answer.

   "Great," He muttered, and prepared for the night ahead.

***

Half an hour later they stood a few blocks away from the back entrance of the sewers arguing about their strategy.

"Look, we'll just go down there and search for the vault!" She exclaimed.

"Will we?" Spike stepped forward and looked at her. "I don't remember you consulting me before you decided what "we" did."

Leia clenched her jaw. "Fine," She said coolly, crossing her arms across her chest. "Spike, what's your plan?"

He glowered darkly. "I don't know. I don't know where this bloody place is."

She was just about to reply when she noticed a good-looking boy staring at her intently from across the street. Her lips curved in a smile as he crossed over the road.

   "Well?" Spike asked impatiently, then he saw what she was concentrating on and flared his nostrils angrily.

"Hi," The boy said, approaching. "I hope you don't mind me interrupting like this."

"Well, actually-" Spike began, but Leia elbowed him in the ribs hurriedly. She flashed the man a dazzling smile. "Not at all," She replied.

 "I couldn't help but notice you," He blushed a little. That is so cute! Leia thought. She could see Spike seething beside her out of the corner of her eye. The sensation was not unpleasant, she decided. 

 "Um." The boy cleared his throat. "My name's Christian, " He offered. "The truth is, I've seen you around a few times and I was wondering if you wanted to go get a coffee now, or something."

   Leia smiled. "I'm Leia."

Before she could continue, Spike butted in, "And I'm Spike, and she," He nodded to Leia, "Is taken."

Christian looked surprised. "Oh man, I'm sorry, I didn't know." Looking wistfully at Leia, who was standing with her mouth open he said, "Well, I'll see you around, " And moved to walk off.

   Leia regained her powers of speech. "Wait!" She called, shooting Spike a murderous look. "He means taken, for tonight!" She fixed a smile on her face. "We have some, uh…business to attend to. We work together. But," She continued, "I'm free other nights…?"

Christian's face creased into a smile. "Oh, I see."

Cursing loudly, Spike walked off. 

Leia stared after him in exasperation, and then grabbed Christian's hand and quickly wrote her number on it. She knew it was forward, but she didn't care. The look on Spike's face before was worth it. He probably thought because she hadn't swooned at his feet the other day that she was lesbo or something. "Call me!" She told him, and hurriedly ran off after Spike.

  When she had caught up to him, she grabbed his shoulder and turned him round, fuming, with her hands on her hips. "What the hell did you do that for?" Leia yelled.

  "Look, luv, we've got a job to do, in case you haven't forgotten," Spike spat. "I'm not wasting my time just standing there while you make goo-goo eyes at some faggot you picked up off the street!" He paused. "Who, incidentally, is probably a demon."

  "Oh, so it was really my safety you were worried about?" Leia said sarcastically, and snorted. "Give me a break."

"Well, what else could it possibly be?" Spike asked her lightly. Leia stared him down, then, for some reason, noticed how close they were. Their faces were inches apart and his body was nearly touching hers…she looked down, blushing slightly. How he infuriated her!

Spike regarded her and pondered for a moment, then narrowed his eyes, and sucked his lip in thoughtfully. "Oh, I get it." He said softly. "You think I'm jealous, don't you?"

   Leia looked up for a moment, her expression guarded. "Are you?"

Spike laughed. "Give _me_ a break, sweetheart," He said coldly. "Let's just get on with this, shall we? I'm getting bored."

 "Fine." Leia spat. "But just don't get in my way." She barged past him and stomped down the road.

"Wouldn't dream of it, pet," He said under his breath, following her as she prised the lid off the sewer.

Leia pulled the lid off and made to drop down inside without looking back at him. But suddenly she hesitated, leaning back from the tunnel. This wasn't right. All the training she had been given, though it was from the council, was firmly drilled within her and her whole body was screaming out with warning; going down into the unknown while fighting with your partner was just not safe. Leia bit her lip and looked up at him.

  "Look, Spike…" She raised her eyes to heaven, looking like she was struggling with the words, but continued quietly, "You may not like me, and it's obvious we don't get on. But we have to work as a team now," She looked at him defiantly, ready for him to oppose her, as always. "I'm not asking you to pledge undying loyalty to me. I just need to know, that when we get down there, you're on my side."

   Spike looked at her, knowing that it had taken a lot for her to say that. Quite touched, he managed, "Of course I'm on your side. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." She looked at him to check that he was being serious, and when she saw he was, she nodded and disappeared down inside the sewer.

    Feeling genuine respect for the girl, and a number of other emotions swirling inside him, he swallowed and jumped down after her.

***

Buffy and Angel were also arguing, but about not about strategy.

  "Are you sure that's wise?" Angel asked Buffy, as they rounded the corner near the sewer entrance. 

"What!" Buffy exclaimed. "So I left them alone together. Big deal!"

"Yeah, but if you think she has a…well, a crush on him," Angel said carefully. 

"It's obvious they're attracted to each other," Buffy countered. "Why else would they jump all over each other all the time? Besides, Spike totally checks out her _butt!"_

Angel looked at her sternly. "Buffy…don't you think she should be careful? Spike is a vampire."

"So are you."

"Yes, slightly different-" Angel was exasperated. "I think you should be a bit more serious about this. You're being pretty flippant…Spike is a _killer."_

   Buffy sighed. "I know…it's just…"She looked at him pleadingly. "Maybe I've just got a rosier view of him then you and the rest of the gang because he's helped me so many times. He just, he seems like he's changed."

  "How could he possibly have changed?" Angel's voice rose with disbelief. "Does he have a soul?"

"No, but-" Buffy began.

"But nothing!" Angel cut her off. She looked at him with surprise and swallowed. It wasn't often he was angry. "You didn't see the things he did to people! You don't even _know _what he did to people…but you know how he got his nickname! How are you going to feel when you find Leia impaled on a railroad spike and realise Spike's found a way to get the chip out?"

   Buffy winced, but soon resumed, shaking her head. "I know Spike. I know how he used to be, when he used to try and kill me all the time! He's different now…"

Angel snorted. "He's my childe. He'll never change."

"Oh, so you're telling me you don't think there's any way he has feelings for Leia?" She challenged him, and they stopped walking.

   Angel looked uncomfortable as he turned to her. "I don't know…I haven't seen them together."

"Aha!" Buffy said triumphantly. "If he's so evil, how could you even consider the possibility that he could _have_ feelings?"

  "I meant that he was physically attracted to her," Angel said quickly.

"No." Buffy's smile faded and she regarded him seriously. "Spike's always been different. I mean, he loved Drusilla properly. He was devastated when she left him. You saw it. That was real love. And I may not know much, " She raised an eyebrow at him, and Angel knew that she was a little hurt by his earlier comment. He looked away sheepishly as she carried on, "but I _know that isn't common for vampires. They form bonds out of loneliness and for a need for companionship, not love."_

  Angel raised his eyes in surprise, and again she raised her eyebrow. "Leia told me that. And you're right, I might not know what he's done, and what he was like. But Leia does. She's read the diaries; she's got a good head on her shoulders. I'm not saying I'd be happy for her to be with him, I just…I want her to have a little fun. She hasn't had much. Spike might not be boyfriend material, but at least he's light. And funny. Besides, their constant sniping at one another isn't really tip-top for slaying atmosphere. It'd be better with them screwing one another then screwing _at one another."_

    Angel nodded after a moment. "I understand that. If you trust him, then…"

"It's strange, but I kind of do." They resumed walking. "Even if he does repulse me most of the time, he always comes through. And it's her choice what she wants to do, anyhow. It's not like she couldn't kick his butt."

"Mmm." Angel smiled. "You couldn't kick mine."

"Oh, you think so?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. Walking towards him slowly, she suddenly reached up and murmured in his ear, 

  "Let's just wait and see, shall we?" With that she stepped back and dropped down into the sewers. Angel stood for a moment, a sudden heat rising in his cold body. With Buffy being this enticing, it was sure going to be hard to concentrate…

***

Leia and Spike walked in silence. Good, Leia thought. I prefer him when he keeps his mouth shut. The sound of their combined footsteps echoed eerily around the tunnel and Leia held up a lighter, the flickering light throwing shadows across the dank walls. Spike had no shadow, she remembered, seeing her own outline alone on the wall. Creepy.

    Spike noticed the silver lighter she held in her hand as the tunnel was suddenly illuminated. Funny, he mused. She smokes. One thing about her, she sure was unpredictable…Spike had always prided himself on being able to read women like a book. That was what had attracted him to Dru. She was new, different. That, of course, being because of the fact that she was insane. Leia definitely wasn't insane, he thought. She was as sharp as a knife and had a tongue that cut like a razor. But he couldn't read her. She had kept him guessing since the moment he met her. For a second he wished he knew what she thought of him. Then he realised what he had just thought. *Spike, you're going round the bloody bend. And you need a good shag, obviously, if even that bitch is starting to look appealing.* The fact that she was incredibly easy on the eye was of no importance, although it was distracting. Spike hastily put her out of his mind and concentrated on the area around him, honing his senses carefully.

    They reached a fork in the tunnels. They both stopped, unsure of what to do. 

"Which way?" Spike broke into the silence.

Leia looked around her. "I…I don't know," She said finally.

"I thought you knew the way?" Spike turned on her. "Oh, this is just great."

"We're coming a different way," Leia argued. "I've got a rough idea of where we're going. I say we go left."

"Well isn't that strange, _I _have this instinct that we should go right." He stared at her stubbornly. "I know these tunnels better then you do."

She scowled at him for a moment, and then sighed. "Fine. We'll go right."

Again, Spike was surprised. "You're agreeing with me?"

"Neither of us know where we're going," Leia corrected him wearily. "Your guess is as good as mine. Lead the way."

More silence ensued until a little way down the tunnel when they both stiffened suddenly. "Something's coming," Spike's preternatural hearing picked up on footsteps coming closer.

   "You don't say," Leia said sarcastically, pointing further down the tunnel where they could see shadows being formed as whoever it was rounded the corner. Spike turned to her, an infuriated reply forming on his lips.

   Suddenly vampires shot down from above, landing beside them, behind them, and the ones from further down in the tunnel rushed up. Spike and Leia were surrounded. "We've been tracking you since you came in here," One of them hissed. They were all wearing their vampire visage, but the one who spoke was particularly ugly, and covered in scars. He looked old. "If you're lucky, we might drain you before we take you to the master. I could use a little…snack."

   "Oh, really," Leia replied coolly. "Come and get it, then." 

The vampire laughed, and then shot towards her, showing off. Spike knew that he had obviously meant his sudden burst of speed to frighten Leia, not realising she was a Slayer. Spike also knew that he had wanted to impress his vampire friends, because Spike was guessing he was second-in command to the master and wanted respect. They were quite amusing, vampire clans, Spike mused. All the same. 

   What the vampire wasn't prepared for was for Leia to whip out a stake and before he could stop himself he ran straight into it. 

   "Clever girl," He said in amazement, before exploding into ash.

Spike shifted into his vamp face. "Come and get stuck in then, you little wankers," He growled. He was in the mood for a good brawl.

   The other vampires stood in shock for a second, staring at his face, so Spike took the initiative and started the fight. Kicking the vampire to his left in the face, he backhanded another who was coming at him, sending him flying at the wall. Seeing the shock on their faces, he expected them to retreat, by now they would have guessed he was much older then them and that he was, basically, an unbeatable fighter. Spike wasn't one to blow his own trumpet, but _damn_, he was _good_…or rather, he was bad. Bad to the bone, baby. Smirking, he thought that he would have to say that to Leia one day; the look on her face would be most satisfying. But then something unexpected happened. One vampire grabbed his right arm, another grabbed his left. Before he knew what was happening, he was pinned on the floor, unable to move, and the vampire that he had kicked was bending over him. "I see you follow the old ways, vampire," Hissed the vampire, stroking his cheek. "But we have a new way for you." Still stroking his cheek, he wrenched Spike's head sideways, and whispered in his ear. "_I have never drunk from one as old as you."_

   Struggling to wrench himself free, Spike found that he could not move. "What are you doing, you idiot? We drink off humans, not vampires!" Spike shouted, genuinely enraged. He had heard of such a thing, and childer often drunk from their sires- but only if wounded. To feed off another vampire in order to kill them was strictly forbidden by the old ways.

    Over the vampire's shoulder, Spike could see Leia executing a perfect roundhouse kick into the jaw of one vamp, staking another under her arm as she turned.   
  He tried to call out to her, but the vampire shoved a knee into his throat so that he could not make a sound. And as the vampire's face moved closer to his to bite down on his neck, for the first time in many, many years, Spike began to feel truly afraid.

He closed his eyes tightly and prepared for the pain of the bite, but then heard one of the vampires restraining him make a noise of warning. As he opened his eyes, the vampire in front of him looked into them with shock. A split-second later he was dust. Leia was standing behind him, stake in hand, and for a second they gazed at each other. Then she lunged and staked the vampires restraining him in a fluid motion so quick that they had no time to do anything.

    Breathing heavily, she held out a hand to him.

Spike, still shaky from what had happened, could only gaze up at her in wonder. "You…you saved me," He croaked out finally.

   She seemed surprised, also. "I know."

Taking her hand, Spike stumbled to his feet, unable to believe how much the experience had terrified him. For once he had no sarcy comment, no wisecrack, no smart-aleck remark. He was speechless. Still clinging onto her hand, he looked at her and muttered, "Thank you."

   She was about to reply when she heard more footsteps coming around the corner. She was still out of breath from dusting at least 10 vamps. And looking at Spike, she knew he was in no state to fight. As she stood there, wondering what to do, Spike yanked her by her hand into a gap between two of the pipes in the wall opposite. The pipes hid them sufficiently. The gap, however, was not very big, causing them to squeeze in, their bodies pressed tightly together. With a gasp she realised she was still holding his hand and she dropped it instantly.

     Spike knew he should be concentrating on the vampires walking down the tunnel, but all he was aware of was Leia. He could feel the softness of her breasts against his chest in contrast to the bullet hardness of her nipples. He could feel the frantic hammering of her heart and the warmth of her trembling body. He could smell the faint scent of vanilla in her hair…

      She could feel the hardness of his body and the coolness of his skin. She could smell leather and a trace of cigarettes, and when she looked up she could see his blue eyes glittering in the darkness, burning down at her.

The footsteps died away, and Spike hastily wrenched his gaze away, staring out into the tunnel.

   "What should we do?" Leia whispered. "If that many vampires come again before we even get to the vault, I doubt we can take them."

   Spike looked left to right, quickly, and moved out into the tunnel. He seemed to have regained his composure. "I don't think this is the right way," he said thoughtfully. "Those vampires looked like they were patrolling the sewers, not coming from near the vault."

"Oh, really?" Leia remarked, crossing her arms across her chest.

Spike held up a hand. "I admit it. I was wrong, you were right," He rolled his eyes and then smiled. "Why don't we just go back to the fork and go left this time?" He held out his hand to her.

A triumphant comment, and a "I told you so" were on the tip of her tongue. But, seeing the sincere smile on his face, his hand outstretched, she swallowed them down. Much as she hated to admit it, she was enjoying this truce between them.

   "Sure," She replied, taking his hand, and together they ran back to the fork, ready to start again.


	12. Chapter 12

***

"I think this is it!" Angel whispered as he and Buffy crept down the passageway of the sewer, approaching a dead end, where there was a large door carved into the metal, slightly ajar.

   "I wonder why there aren't any guards?" She asked him, slightly puzzled.

"Hmm…" As they stepped closer, stealthily, Angel pointed to three piles of dust on the floor. "Buffy…I think there were."

Buffy grinned. "That means Leia and Spike probably got here before us." Quickly she moved up to the door and peeked through the crack. "See!" She indicated to Angel. "They're getting along just fine."

   Indeed, Angel had to agree the two _did seem to be getting along much better. Through the crack he could see them talking about the various artifacts as they quickly and expertly sorted through the contents of the vault. Suddenly an intoxicating aroma wafted up his nostrils…Buffy's perfume…Standing behind Buffy, he could feel the soft cushion of her bottom pressing against his groin and her silky hair tickled his chin. Dizzy with her nearness, he touched her shoulder._

   She turned around to face him in surprise. "I was thinking," Angel murmured down to her, his dark eyes filled with lust, "Since they're getting along so well…maybe we should stay out here, and keep guard."

  Buffy tried to keep a clear head, but it was so hard when he was looking at her like that…what had brought this on, she had _no idea, but she felt a familiar tingling warmth deep inside her as she looked up at him._

  "That would probably be…" She replied softly, moving closer to him and slowly walking her fingers up his back, "A bad idea…"

"I know," He whispered, moving his face closer to hers slowly. "Very bad…" Their lips met in a clash of intense passion, their tongues entwining feverishly. Buffy whimpered as Angel traced his hands up her back lightly, sending glorious shivers down her spine. She could feel his erection pressing into her thigh and she moved against him, arching her back and tangling her fingers in his hair.

   "Ahem." The door to the vault swung open, and somebody cleared their throat behind them.

Angel and Buffy sprang apart, blushing furiously.

Leia raised an eyebrow at them, Spike close behind her. "Practising mouth to mouth resuscitation? " She asked innocently.

  "I..uh.." Buffy gasped, still out of breath, her face on fire.

"Jesus Christ Buffy," Spike said in disgust. "Do you _have to do that in public? Or rather, in the sewers…can you and Peaches not concentrate on the task at hand and save that for the bedroom? Leia and me almost got our arses kicked earlier while you two were off smooching. Bloody hell."_

Turning his back on them and rolling his eyes, Spike stalked back into the vault and carried on the search.

Leia just grinned at them. "Vamp does have a point." Then the smile faded and she sighed and looked at Buffy a little reproachfully. "Seriously though, we do have work to do."

  She disappeared back into the vault, leaving Buffy and Angel to stare at each other. "God," Buffy mumbled, looking down at her hands. "I can't believe we did that. And, and…." Her voice trailed off as she surveyed the dark, disgusting sewer, "and _here."_

  "Buffy, I'm sorry," Angel shook his head remorsefully. "Maybe I shouldn't come on patrol with you alone anymore."  
"Maybe that would be wise," She remarked woefully. "I can't think straight around you sometimes."

Angel straightened up. "I understand," He said softly. "We better go in and help them."

Moving past her, he entered the vault. Buffy pressed a hand to her head and tried to quell the ache that had began to twinge. Why was everything so complicated? Her and Angel weren't even properly together, they had simply had a few stolen kisses here and there. He had been as good as he promised and never pressured her to give him her answer…but already he was complicating things. She wasn't concentrating…and she knew as well as anyone that neglecting to pay attention could cost her her life. And then with a start she realised her mind had wandered again! Focusing on the green, moldy door in front of her, with an outstretched palm and a sigh, Buffy pushed it open.

    The sight made her gasp. The vault was covered from head to toe in gold- gold walls, gold tables, gold floors…the chairs were platinum, and the lamps hanging from the walls were encrusted in silver and amethysts. It was blinding, and for a moment she wanted to cover her eyes, but as they became accustomed to it, she noticed that Angel, Spike, and Leia were all crowded round a table towards the back of the vault.

   Stepping over an _amazing sword made of black pearl and emerald, still marvelling at the vulgar glory of the place; she made her way over._

   "Hey guys," she said from behind them. "What's the news?"

"Finally decided to join us, did you?" Spike remarked, not turning around. "Shove over, Leia, so she can see." He brushed his fingers over Leia's shoulders and bumped her aside with his hips. Buffy noticed he lingered for a moment longer then necessary…

  When Leia turned to her, her face was a little flushed. "Buff, come here." Fitting between the gap, Buffy gasped to see an absolutely _huge_ diamond set into the gold wall. It was more blinding then the wall: sparkling and illuminating all of their faces with the throwaway rays. 

   "It's beautiful," Buffy breathed, and reached out a hand to touch it.

"Don't!" Angel exclaimed, knocking her hand away before she could touch it. 

"I want to touch it!" Buffy whined, entranced. Leia reached out her hand aswell…

Spike and Angel looked at each other and then at the same time they noticed the glazed look in both Buffy and Leia's eyes. "What the bloody hell?" Spike muttered, and Angel knocked both of the girls' hands away, only for them immediately to reach back for the diamond, desperate to touch it. Angel grasped Buffy and moved backwards, away from the diamond. Spike took note and grabbing Leia, yanked her away.

   The girls both began to struggle, their eyes still fixed on the diamond. Kicking out, Leia began to scream.

" What the fuck is going on?" Spike yelled in shock, trying with difficulty to hold onto the struggling girl in his arms, a twinge of pain cording through him as she struck him in the leg.

   "The diamond's cursed, I read the inscription," Angel grunted, also trying to restrain Buffy as she pummelled his chest. "They can't touch it…they'll be cursed too…they'll wind up dead. It has a spell on it to attract people, it affects all mortals…"

 "Which explains why we remain impervious," Spike replied wryly, then scowled as Leia elbowed him in the face. "Ouch, you little bitch! Hold still, will you, Slayer!"

   "Let me go!" Leia screamed. Spike quickly put a hand over her mouth to quiet her, and yelled in pain when she bit it. He looked at Angel in amazement as Buffy began shrieking like a banshee in his arms. "Bloody hell, they've gone mad!"

Angel looked back at him in alarm. "We've got to get them out of here! If they touch it, we're all dead, and if they carry on screaming, our presence here won't remain undetected for long. But what about the code-breaker?"

  "I don't know…maybe we could-" As Spike was speaking, Leia was working on prising his fingers from her shoulders. Suddenly she succeeded, and, squealing, she made a run for the diamond. "Forget the code-breaker!" Spike yelled, and took a huge cat jump, catching Leia by the ankles just as she reached the table, sending them both crashing to the ground. Spike straddled her angrily and pinned her arms to the floor. "For God's sake, have you taken leave of your bloody senses!" He told her furiously. Leia turned her head away with a moan, and writhing limply underneath him, she began to cry, mumbling gibberish. Spike quickly turned his head to Angel. "Now what?"

 "Now, we're going to have to make a break for it. And fast." A moment of understanding passed between them and at the same time they hefted the Slayer's over their backs in a fireman's lift. With small fists raining blows down on their shoulders and constantly having to duck their heads to avoid being scissored by violent legs, they bolted from the room as fast as they could.

***

Later on, all the Scoobies and the now recovered Slayers gathered at the Magic Shop.

 Giles made his way down the ladder, book in one hand, glasses in the other as he thought. "You say it was like you were in a trance?" He mused.

   Leia nodded as Buffy replied. "It was like I was in there, but I couldn't command what I was doing. Longing just took over….I, I.. can't explain how it felt," Buffy finished hesitantly, looking over at Leia for help.

   Leia picked it up. "It was more like- physical attraction." Leia explained. "Rather then our minds being in control, it was our bodies. They were _physically_ drawn to this diamond, like-" She searched for a word to describe the confusing context, "- magnets. Think of two magnets, their poles attracting one another. That was what it was like. We were being pulled towards the diamond." She shuddered at the recollection.

   "Yes," Buffy agreed. "And resisting felt unbearable because every part of me was aching to touch that thing." She pulled a face. "Which would explain the extreme insanity. It was totally freaky."

"What was freaky was watching you two," Spike said dryly, looking at Leia pointedly when he added, "My knees, which are now black and blue, will testify you _needed straitjackets."_

   "That's funny," Leia shot back, her face pensive, "I kind of reminded myself of… well, Drusilla, actually."

    Everyone in the room waited for the fireworks. It had been pretty long since Spike and Leia argued- and seeing as it was a common occurrence, they were used to it: no, they had been _expecting it. They simply knew it would happen at one time in the conversation or another. Then, to all their amazement, instead of supplying a bitchy comment that would lead to the two of them ripping each other apart, Spike simply grinned at Leia and she stuck her tongue out at him._

   Breaking the stunned silence, Xander, shaking his head in confusion, shrugged and asked "So what are we looking for? Some sort of magnetising spell? One that goes hey mortals, tag, you're south, I'm north, lets get with the attraction?"

   Frowning slightly, Giles rubbed his eyes. "Yes, though as always, you have put it in slightly more colourful terms, Xander," Giles smiled slightly. "Although at the moment our priority should be finding the code-breaker, that diamond is obviously a huge threat. And the fact that it's in the hands of a master vampire is nothing, if not, extremely dangerous."

   "He could use it to lure prey," Willow agreed.

Giles pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I have the feeling it's worth lies in more then that," He murmured. "Something's nagging at me, some ritual I have read of involving a diamond…The fact that this diamond is cursed for humans means that no human could destroy it until after it was used…but what for?" He shook his head, snapping to. "That is no matter. We are going to have to get both the diamond _and the code-breaker, which means-"_

  "Back to the vault," groaned Buffy. 

"Too late," Came a voice from behind them. "The sewers are flooded."

They all turned to face the voice. It was Angel, looking slightly drenched. 

Xander sighed. "Did I have the chance to mention yet how much I _love having mysterious Deadguy back in our lives, going "poof" now you see me, "poof" now you don't?"_

  As usual, everyone ignored Xander's outburst.

"Flooded?" echoed Giles. "What do you mean?"

"I went down there to see if I could get the code-breaker," Angel admitted. "But when I got there, the sewers were filled to the roof; there was some spill or something and it's all been dumped in the sewers."

Everyone backed away from Angel slightly when they realised he'd been swimming in sewer water.

Giles furrowed his brow anxiously. "I wonder how long it will take to clear. Are you aware of any-"

"You went down there alone?" Buffy cut Giles off, walking over to Angel.

Angel nodded. "Only mortals are affected by that diamond. I thought it would be safer this way."

"Angel, that's not how we do things around here." It was then that he noticed the anger on Buffy's face. A flush had started to rise on her cheeks. "We work together as a team, okay? You don't just rush off and do something like that without checking in with anyone! You could have been killed!"

"Again, with the "poof"ing," Xander nodded, making quote marks with his fingers. "You have to check before you "poof"."

"He is a poof," Spike rolled his eyes. "He can't really check in about that." Fixing his eyes on Angel, he carried on, "You always have to play Lord of the Manor, don't you?  The Scoobies have a nice little system around here, and you have to disrupt it. Bleedin' typical." Angel looked enraged, and moved towards his childe. Buffy stepped in the middle and looked back and forth at both of them, finally settling her gaze on Spike.

   "Spike…" Buffy looked puzzled for a moment, then threw her hands up in annoyance and turned back to Angel, "Just- shut up."

Spike looked at her back in disbelief for a second, then got up from his chair and exclaimed in a hurt voice, "Well, screw the lot of you then!" Duster flapping, he stalked out of the library, muttering under his breath, "Bloody well only trying to help, bloody always taking Peaches side…"

   Watching the doors shut behind him, Buffy sighed and turned to Angel. "Look. Spike was right about you disrupting things. You can't do that, okay?"

  "Do what?" Angel looked confused, hurt in his brown eyes.

"You can't just take off like that!" Buffy reproached him. "We keep tabs on everyone and we work together to decide what people do."

   "But sometimes you have to act on the initiative, Buffy," Angel argued, lowering his voice and trying to keep his cool. 

   "People get hurt that way!" There was silence and Buffy struggled to keep calm. She didn't know why this was upsetting her so much- was it because she was scared for him, and the thought of something happening to him terrified her, or because his attitude was so awfully reminiscent of when he left her? Making decisions by himself and acting alone had always been his way. Buffy was frightened he would shut her out the whole time they were together, and then her instinct had been proved correct when he alone had made the decision that it would be best for her if they broke up. He hasn't changed, she thought. But I have. How can I be sure he's not just going to take off and leave me again? 

  Staring at him for a moment, she continued quietly so that only he could hear, "Just…just think about it. You're either a part of the team, or you're not."


	13. Chapter 13

***

Willow got on the net and Xander, Anya and Giles stuck to the books. Buffy reluctantly allowed Leia to accompany her to Willy's to find out if there were any other entrances to the sewers.

   "Two Slayers are better then one, right?" Leia told her, smiling.

"Yeah, but Willy has the biggest mouth in town," Buffy informed her, and turned to the group. "If he finds out Leia is a Slayer, the whole town will know before we get ten yards down the road."

   "You can't go alone," Leia reminded her.

"Why not?" Buffy started to say, and then, remembering what she had said to Angel, the words died on her lips and she flushed guiltily. She sneaked a glance at him, but luckily he didn't seem to have heard. Swallowing quickly, she said hastily, "Well, okay…but don't let on."

   "Yes." Willow looked up from the computer screen. "We have to keep you safe."

   "So keep schtum!" Xander chimed in. Leia rolled her eyes good-naturedly, but Buffy knew she was pleased at their concern.

 "Yes, do be careful, darling," Giles remonstrated Leia gently. "You do have a tendency to be…rather rash." His eyes fell on Angel. "What about you, Angel? Research?"

  Keeping his eyes on the floor, Angel rose to his feet, and said abruptly, "I'll go out and check the streets."

  "Oh, will you _stop with the information!" Xander quipped. "My head is spinning."_

"Xander…"Giles shook his head, then focused on Angel. "What will you do?"

 Angel looked up, and meeting Giles's eyes but careful to avoid Buffy, he said, "Keep my ear to the ground. I'll see if anyone knows anything about this Master's intentions with the diamond and anything else untoward he could be planning. See if he has anything to do with the increased vamps." Giles nodded.

   "Going off alone, what a surprise!" Buffy said sarcastically. "You're good at that." Turning on her heel and grabbing a stake, she stomped out of the library. Angel gritted his teeth and, although his face betrayed no emotion, his long fingers clenched around the bow he picked up and the loud scrape of his chair as he pushed it back with unnecessary force showed his agitation.

 Observing Angel glowering in the corner with widened eyes, Leia gulped, gave her godfather a squeeze and followed Buffy quickly, calling over her shoulder, "Don't worry Rupe, I'll be good!"

 Watching her go, Rupert Giles smiled wearily. "Why does that not reassure me?" He sighed, rubbing his forehead and grabbing a book.

***

Buffy slammed Willy up against the wall while Leia stood to the side, scowling. Breathing heavily, Buffy blew her hair out of her eyes, "Okay. Let's try that one more time. _When_ are they leaving?"

   "I swear!" Willy's eyes darted from side to side frantically and sweat beaded on his brow. "I don't know anything else."

  Buffy looked at him in disgust for a minute, then dropped him. She looked at Leia reluctantly. "I think he's telling the truth. Let's go."

***

Climbing through the window quietly, Leia dropped her bag with a thud before she stepped down, just as the door to Buffy's room opened. From where she was flopped on the bed, Buffy sat up.

   It was a sleepy and ruffled Dawn. "Buffy," she yawned. "Why are you back so late? Mom's going to kill you." She stepped into the room and her gaze fell on Buffy's bag. "And Leia." Her eyes lit up and an eager smile crossed her face. "Did you sneak out?"

  "Out, Dawn." Buffy stood up and pointed towards the door. "First of all, I'm over 18 now, so I can do what I want. Second, it's none of your business."

   Throwing her a hateful look, Dawn stormed out.

Buffy turned to Leia and sighed. "Teenagers."

***

Morning dawned on the Summers house. Buffy woke up and stared around her blearily. She sighed. She hadn't had a good night's sleep, tossing and turning most of the time, still miserable about her fight with Angel. He hadn't come and visited her that night. She stepped out of bed, tugging on a robe and ignoring the heaviness of her heart. I was right, she insisted, telling herself to stick to her guns. I will not phone him, she steeled herself. A little voice in the back of her head said, "But Buffy, was there any reason to yell at him in front of everyone?" She stared at herself in the mirror unhappily as she brushed her hair. "You know that was wrong, Buffy," the voice continued. She looked away toward to the closed door of her room when she heard sounds downstairs. Voices in the kitchen. She lay the brush down absentmindedly. "Buffy…" the voice said again. She looked back at herself in irritation. "Oh, shut up," She told the voice out loud, pushing it to the back of her head and making her way downstairs. Wandering down into the hall, she stopped just short of the door, listening.

   "Shut _up!" She heard Leia's voice. "You did not kill the Anointed One."_

"I did so!" protested a voice that Buffy identified as British and male.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, Buffy padded into the kitchen. The sight that greeted her would not have been surprising if an outside visitor had viewed it. Dawn was sitting at the table, happily munching on a pancake swimming in maple syrup. Leia was bustling about the kitchen, laughing, frying pan in hand. Spike was perched on the tabletop, occasionally leaning forward and dipping his finger in Dawn's maple syrup. It looked like three young people enjoying breakfast. However, when you looked a little closer, you noticed all of the curtains were drawn. A blanket was curled up by the door, still smoking slightly. The twenty year old girl cooking the pancakes was actually an Englishwoman on the run from the Council, an English organisation with more power then God. And why? Well, because she was the only girl out of two in the world that had the speed and strength to hunt the vampires. Oh yeah, and the twenty-something male she's laughing up at that's sitting on the counter? Actually a bicentennial aged vampire, immensely powerful and killer of two slayers already.

   Buffy smiled. *The fact that they're actually having a _conversation_ is what surprises me more.*__

Dawn, looking up, spotted her. "Morning, Buffy!" She called cheerily, last night's interlude forgotten. "Leia!" She faked a whine and banged on the table with her fork, mock-angrily. "More pancakes!"

   "Patience, 'Bit," Spike drawled. "There's only so many things a woman can cope with at once, you know. Multi-tasking is a masculine trait."

   "Sexist pig!" Leia giggled, and threw a tea towel at him as she moved past. "Multi-tasking, indeed! Dawn _told me about the time you tried to heat up your blood on the stove." Her eyes fell on Buffy, and still smiling, she greeted her warmly. "Good morning Buff, d'you fancy some pancakes for your morning repast?" Skipping over to the stove, she expertly flipped two of the pancakes over before turning back to Buffy._

  "By repast, I'm guessing you mean breakfast." Buffy grinned. "I think I'll just have a yoghurt."

"Good good, more for me!" Leia yipped, and buttering a slice of toast thickly, she took a huge bite.

"Put your foot in your mouth and kick it down," Spike advised. "It'll go down faster."

  Leia looked at him witheringly. "Go boil your head."

Spike threw his hands up in mock surrender, and then looked back and forth between the girls, finally saying to Buffy, "See, this is what surprises me," Spike dipped his finger into the jar of maple syrup and sucked it thoughtfully. "I thought that needing to eat loads was just a Slayer thing. I've never seen a girl pack it away like Leia and still keep…trim," His eyes fell on Leia's slender legs, then he looked back at Buffy with a grin. "But you eat like a bird, Buffy! So what's going on there?"

   Leia shrugged. "It all goes to my brain, obviously. That's why I'm so hugely intelligent." She smirked at him and brought the frying pan over to the table. "Pancakes ready!" She drawled, tipping one out smoothly onto Dawn's plate and the second onto another plate. Spike reached for it, but she held it high above her head.

   "Nuh-uh," She sang. "Not until you stop being a smart-arse. You don't get the goods until you admit that I am the best bloody multi-tasker around!"

   "Leia," Spike whined. "I want my pancake!"

"Sorry, you're going to have to do better then that," Leia spun in circles around the kitchen. "I'm waiting for the magic words!"

Buffy watched them in extreme amusement. Here were two people that yesterday couldn't stay in the same room with each other without fighting, and today…they were still totally wrapped up in each other, of course, but they were teasing and laughing like they had been this way forever. It was amazing. Buffy shook her head and smiled. And of course, they were totally oblivious to it as well….

    Still smiling, Buffy poured a glass of juice for herself and sat down opposite Dawn. "Where's Mom?"

"Mrmph." Dawn started, her mouth full. Buffy raised an eyebrow, and she grinned sheepishly, swallowing hastily. "She had to leave early, remember? That sculpture she was so excited about in New York is being auctioned off today."

  "Oh yeah," Buffy said quietly, a feeling of foreboding overtaking her.

"Buffy?" Dawn looked at her sister anxiously. "Are you okay?"

Before Buffy could answer, the phone rang.

Laughing, Leia handed Spike the plate and went to the phone. "Hello…Summer's residence. Oh hi, Angel." Buffy stiffened, and she noticed Leia's smile faded. "Oh. I see. Oh…oh. Do you think it's gone?" Her face fell. "Okay. I'll just get Buffy." Biting her lip, she looked up at Buffy. "Buff…Angel."

   Slightly puzzled at Leia and nervous at speaking to Angel after yesterday, she swallowed before speaking into the phone, "Hello?"

   "Buffy." Angel's voice was serious, and she could tell this was a business call.

She sighed. "What's happened?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you," He said in a clipped voice, "But this is important. Last night when I was out I heard some talk in the Underground Room. It seems that the Master has got into a bit of trouble with the Rirtia demons and is leaving tonight. Taking his stuff with him."

   Buffy's shoulders slumped. "Shit. Well, we'll have to go to the vault straight away."

"Not safe," Angel interrupted her. "It's day time. The Master will most likely be guarding the place himself. He can't leave until tonight."

  "Well, what do you propose we do?" She gritted her teeth. She had never been a very patient girl. "I say I go in there and give him a good-morning filled with sunshine."

   Angel rolled his eyes. Buffy could be _so stubborn…but he had been thinking about her all night. It was ridiculous how much he missed her even when he was infuriated with her. "Buffy, it's not _safe_," He repeated. "This guy is powerful. He used to…I used to know him."_

  There was pause. 

"From where?" Buffy finally managed.

"The Clan of Aurelius." Angel felt the shame wash over him as he always did when he spoke of that period in his life. "You can't underestimate him. We have to wait."

   "Until when?" Buffy asked, her voice rising. "Until night, when they've all split town?"

"I've spoken to Giles. He agrees."

"Oh, great," Buffy snorted. "As usual, Buffy is always the last to know. Don't worry about informing the Slayer, will you."

Angel carried on as if he hadn't heard her. "He agrees," He insisted. "I heard something else which might make you agree as well. Will you just hear me out?"

  "Carry on," Buffy said grudgingly.

"I know which route they're taking tonight. We can intercept them on their way. I've got it all figured out. Me and you can go and hold them off, while Leia and Spike go and check out the vault."

  "Because we have to be in two places at once," Buffy finished. "Okay, okay," She conceded. "It's a pretty good plan."

  Angel chuckled, then sighed. "I hate having arguments with you, Buffy."

Buffy smiled ruefully. "Me too."

"I'msorry…" He mumbled.

"Wait a minute," Buffy grinned. "Did you just say sorry?"

Angel pursed his lips. He _hated_ being wrong. "Maybe." He admitted grumpily.

A rush of love flooded through Buffy, warming her. "Thank you," She whispered, feeling curiously emotional. 

There was another charged silence.

What do you want? Angel wanted to ask her. Do you even want me anymore? This limbo he and Buffy were in was killing him. He didn't want to push her to make a decision, but he felt like she was slipping away from him.

"I'll meet you at the Magic Shop in a couple of hours when it's dark," He said instead. "Then we can discuss strategy."

  "Okey doke," Buffy said absentmindedly, fiddling with her chain. Then her brow furrowed. "What do you mean, a couple of hours?"

  "It's nearly two, Buffy." Angel said in confusion. "Sunset is at 5.47 tonight."

"Two!" Disbelieving, Buffy looked at her watch. "Oh my god! I slept Saturday away."

"Well, last night was a pretty late one." As their conversation continued, Angel stared uncomfortably at the receiver in his hand. He still wasn't altogether comfortable with using the telephones; he didn't think he could get used to talking to Buffy without seeing her. It seemed unnatural. Especially since they had been talking on the phone so much more often recently; part of his attempt to give her space but not quite managing it.

***

Leia watched with a smirk on her face as Spike devoured her pancakes. See, she thought with satisfaction, now he's having to _literally_ eat his words. The doorbell rang, rousing Leia from her thoughts.

   Wandering into the hall, her mind still full of Spike, she pulled it open. Immediately a look of shock replaced her placid features when she caught sight of the handsome young man in front of her.

   "Christian?" She managed, surprised. "How did you-"

 "I, I hope you don't mind me dropping round," He grinned sheepishly. 

"Um, not at all," Leia blinked away the confusion and leaned on the doorpost.  "How did you know where I live?"

"I phoned here yesterday and a girl answered. She told me to come and see you," Christian looked down shyly. "So I thought I would. Unless, you want me to go and I could just-"

   Leia chuckled, immensely flattered and taken aback. "No, no," She started just as Spike's voice rang out behind her.

  "Who was it?" Spike began amiably, stepping out into the hall. His jaw tightened. "Oh."

Furrowing her brow and shooting him a strange look, she turned back to Christian. "You remember Spike from the other day, right?" She asked weakly.

   "Yeah…" Christian shifted from foot to foot, an uncertain look flittering across his face. "Is he…here on business again?"

Knowing what Christian must be thinking, and aware of Spike still standing behind her, she nodded quickly. "I know it must look strange, but believe it or not, yes." An awkward pause fell and Christian hovered outside. Suddenly she realised. Stepping back, she smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. "God, you must think I'm so rude! Come in, Christian."

    Smiling brightly at him and trying to ignore the stony look on Spike's face, as he stood rigidly at the back of the hall and out of the sunlight, Leia gestured towards the den. "Why don't you go and sit down and I'll get you a drink or something? Any preference?"

"Uh, thanks! A root beer would be great." Returning her smile bashfully, Christian went on through and sat down on the couch.

Spike gritted his teeth. Misreading the hostility on his face, Leia lowered her voice and whispered to him, "Don't worry, I'm sure he's _not a demon!" Patting his shoulder, she grinned and moved onto the kitchen._

   Spike nodded silently at her departing back and added, "While you're at it, you can get me a Coke and I'll entertain your…guest."

Narrowing his eyes, he joined Christian in the den. He didn't like this boy.

***

A few minutes later, Buffy joined Leia in the kitchen.

   "Is that Christian?" She whispered. "He's gorgeous!"

"Not bad, is he?" Leia grinned, opening the freezer door and taking an ice-cube tray out.

Buffy rolled her eyes in the direction of the door. "You should see the number Spike's doing on him- you'd think they were playing twenty questions." Leia looked up, and she added, "He's doing a pretty good impression of my dad."

   Leia merely chuckled. "Oh, Spike has this idea that he's a demon." She began to bang the tray on the side of the counter.

   Buffy looked unconvinced, but she said nothing.

Leia busied herself getting the soda out and plopping two cubes into each of the glasses. Finally, she looked up and caught Buffy's look. "What?"

"What?" Buffy repeated nonchalantly. "I didn't say anything."

Now it was Leia's turn to look unconvinced. "Okay, but what were you thinking?"

Buffy put her hand on Leia's arm. "Leia," she said gently. "I'm sure you don't really think that pure demonology is why Spike is quizzing Christian."

   Leia shook her head. "I don't know what you mean."

Buffy sighed. "Leia… he's jealous."

"No, Buffy." Leia looked faintly uncomfortable, remembering her conversation with Spike about jealousy. He didn't have those kinds of feelings for her. 

"Yes."

"No, Buffy." Leia repeated firmly. "Me and Spike are just friends. Up until the yesterday we couldn't even talk without nearly throttling each other, so I wouldn't plan the wedding just yet!" She tried to make a joke of it, but it was obvious that she was being serious.

Buffy opened her mouth to reply just as they heard a loud crash. Their eyes met and without a word they both rushed out into the hall.

   Spike was in full vamp face and Christian was against the wall.

They all stared at each other for a moment, and then Leia said hotly, "What the hell is going on here?" With her hands on her hips, she looked furious.

Spike turned his feral, yellow eyes to her. There was no mistaking the anger in them. "Tell her what you said," He growled at Christian.

  "What?!" protested Christian. "I didn't say nothin'!"

"What did you do?" exclaimed Leia to Spike, anger rising in her voice. Christian, sensing it was safe, straightened up from the wall and fixed his shirt, which was hanging off one shoulder.

   "He flipped," Christian said petulantly, disbelief in his voice. "He went totally psycho and shoved me up against the wall. I thought he was going to kill me. And…is there something wrong with his face?"

   "For a reason," Spike snarled, clenching his fists. "Tell her what you're after."

"What I'm after?" Christian's voice rose. "All I said was that I wanted to take her out!"

"You filthy little liar," Spike spat, and advanced towards him menacingly.

Buffy made a move to restrain him but Leia was too quick. She jumped between him and Christian and gave him a hard shove backwards. "Back off," She hissed. "What the fuck is your problem?"

   Looking down at her, he saw the anger in her stormy green eyes. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and her fists were clenched. He blinked, and felt the demon slip away from him. His face melted smoothly from his vamp face back into his ordinary features. Her face relaxed and she seemed calmer at the change.

   He lowered his voice. "Leia, he was disrespecting you."

"That's not true!" Came Christian's voice from behind them. He shook his head. 

Leia looked back and forth between them. Why would Spike lie? But then again, why would Christian lie? Looking back at Spike, she narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "Okay, what was he saying?"

   Spike looked down at his feet and gritted his teeth. "It doesn't matter."

Leia rolled her eyes and laughed mirthlessly. "You mean you can't think of a lie?" She shook her head and her expression changed into one that was serious. "I can't believe you. And what about your chip?"

   "It was worth the pain." Spike hissed, his voice rising in indignation as he carried on. "And I can't bloody believe _you_! I can't believe you're taking this, this _wanker-" _He pointed at Christian, "His word over mine!"

   Leia was shaking with rage now. She jabbed a finger into his chest, hard. "No, I can't believe that you're so annoyed about someone that actually likes me for a change! What is it? Can you not bear that someone wants to take me out on a date, instead of hurl insults at me?"

   "Like you? _Like you?" Spike's voice was incredulous and it echoed around the hallway. "Sweetheart, all this bloody dickhead wants to do is get in your pants!"_

   Leia moved back like she'd been slapped. "You're disgusting," She whispered. "Get out."

  Shaking his head, his teeth bared in an angry snarl, he shoved past her. "I'm going. And I won't bloody well be back."

"Good!" Leia shouted after him, and then winced as he slammed the door.

Immediately Buffy came closer to comfort her. "Are you okay?"

 Leia squared her shoulders defiantly. "I'm fine. I just can't believe I ever thought I could be friends with that jerk."

   She seemed to have forgotten Christian was there, but then her eyes fell on him. "Oh, God, Christian- are you okay?"

  Christian shrugged, and came closer to her. "He didn't hurt me," he said softly. "I'm more concerned about you." He brushed a piece of hair off her forehead gently. "Who is he? Or…" Looking after him, he furrowed his brow. "_What is he?"_

Leia sighed. "It's a very long story."

" Well, that's not the important thing. Are you okay?"

   Leia smiled, but when she spoke her voice was a bit shaky. "I'm fine…"

Christian looked at her with concern. "You want to go for a walk or something? You can tell me the story. Take your mind off it?"

Leia looked at him and then nodded slowly. "Thank you."

"No problem." Holding out his hand to her, he opened the door and she smiled with trembling lips back to Buffy.

 "See you later, Buff."

Watching the door close behind them, Buffy furrowed her brow in thought. Something wasn't right here…. After debating with herself for a little while, she decided to go and find Spike.


	14. Chapter 14

***

They made idle chit chat as they walked, and eventually they reached the park, where they sat on the bench and looked out over the pond. There they sat, quietly. Leia, with the wind ruffling her hair, offered no explanation.

"His face…" Christian remarked quietly, after a long pause.

"He uh…" Leia considered telling him the truth, but quashed it straight away. He wouldn't believe her, and she didn't really want him to think she was crazy. "It's a facial condition. Kind of scary, I guess, but he can't help it."

He mulled it over, but seemed to buy it. "Well, in any case, that was quite a show he put up," Christian finally remarked, looking sideways at Leia. "You always have men that jealous and that _stron  in your house?"_

Leia forced a laugh. "He wasn't jealous. He… I don't know what he was."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Christian asked suddenly. 

"No," Leia shook her head. "I wasn't lying. There is nothing like that between us."

"Well, an ex-boyfriend then?" He suggested. "Because, honestly, I'd rather know-"

"No!" Leia exclaimed, astonished. "What gave you that idea?"

Christian looked at her for a moment and eventually she laughed. "Okay, okay," She held up her hands. "His behaviour was weird, I'll give you that. But we've never been together like that. " He shot her a sceptical look. "Honestly, cross my heart. We're just…well, business associates."

There was a short silence. "To be honest, I should've known," Leia admitted. "I don't know why I forgot what he's like."

Christian looked at her.

"I thought he was becoming a friend," She mumbled.

"Hey…" Christian said softly. "It's okay. It doesn't matter."

Leia's eyes grew lighter. "I'm glad you don't mind," She said, her tone one of relief. "That's enough to put anyone off for life."

"Not me," He replied, his voice a little husky. "I'm here to collect."

"Collect?" A little puzzled by his choice of words, she laughed. "Collect what?"

"This." Christian leaned forward and gently touched his lips to hers. Then he backed off to see her reaction.

Her eyes were amazed, but not unpleased. She smiled shyly. "Wow, that was…unexpected. But nice."

"Nice?" Christian grinned. "So you won't mind if I do it again…" 

Their lips met in a soft kiss. Leia thought that it felt strange- she hadn't been this close to a man for a long time. Christian's lips were soft and his mouth was warm. She could feel his hands stroking her back, and thought, this is nice. Nice. But not really anything more. 

    The kiss carried on and Christian held her tighter. It began to grow more heated. Well, so what? Leia thought defiantly. He wants me. What's wrong with that?

Nothing, except this was all going a little fast. His hands were snaking under her top and alarm bells went off in her head. She pushed him slightly.

  "Christian," She murmured against his lips. "I think we should stop."

She expected him to laugh and say sure. But he didn't.

"I don't want to stop," He replied thickly. "I want to keep going."

He brought his lips to hers again and crushed her to him. 

She pushed him again, a little more forcefully this time. "Christian, stop now."

"What's the problem?" Christian leant on top of her, forcing her back against the bench. "Don't be a tease."

One of his hands felt his way up her skirt. Leia was momentarily stunned.

"No!" She gasped. "No!" 

Christian took no notice. Instead he shoved his tongue down her throat, nearly gagging her. With one hand, she heard him unbuckle his belt. Her insides were screaming out but she felt frozen in place- she couldn't do anything. And then he pushed her panties aside roughly and jabbed two fingers up inside her.

   That was when something inside her snapped. "No!" Leia screamed, and with a clumsy, wrenching movement, she shoved him blindly off her. There were no cool, precise movements as there were when she was slaying. She was violated. And she was panicked.

   All she wanted to do was get away. Tugging her skirt down, she stumbled off the bench. Then she felt him grab her wrist.

   "Oh no, you don't," He threatened. There was no playfulness in his voice now. "Get back here, you fucking prick-tease."

  At first Leia's stomach curled in fear. But then suddenly her instincts took over and a rage so deep that it shocked her filled her lungs. Turning round to face him, she extracted herself from his grip. He reached for her again, but she blocked his arm with her hand. He stared at it for a moment, surprised at the quickness of her reaction.

   "Don't make me hurt you," Leia warned, her voice low but serious.

Christian snickered. "Hurt me? Is that a threat? Well, guess what, babe. There's no weirdo freak "Spike" or whatever his name was round now to defend your honour. You're alone." He grabbed her wrist again, and hissed "And that means you're going to get what's coming to you."

    That was it. Leia swung her fist back and a punch connected with Christian's jaw so powerful that it sent him flying several feet down the path. Walking closer to him, she snarled, "No means NO, you fuckin' arsehole."

   Fear crossed his bloody face and he backed his body away from her, moving on all fours in his haste.

"So now you run?" Leia spat, her hands shaking in rage. "Well think about that next time you try and force a woman into fucking you. If I ever catch you near a woman again I'll cut your fucking balls off." She kicked him with her foot in disgust. "Bastard. _Bastard."_

   It was with extreme self-control that she forced herself to walk away. It was times like this that it she realised just how strong she was- a rage so deep had filled her that she had really wanted to kill him. And that scared her. The anger faded as she walked away and her breathing eventually became less ragged. A thick lump formed in her throat, and with a rasping sigh, she willed the bitter tears not to fall.

***

The echoing silence of his crypt was interrupted by a knock at the stone door. Spike sighed and put down his half-drunk mug of blood on the table. He wasn't really hungry anyway.

   Buffy chewed her lip, her brow furrowed in anxiety. What was she doing here, anyway? Was this really any of her business? She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that was gnawing at her. Something that felt like Spike was telling the truth earlier.

   Maybe he wasn't in. She was just debating whether to knock again when the door was suddenly wrenched open and she found herself face to face with a glowering Spike.

    "Well, isn't this just an honour?" He asked sarcastically.

"Spike. Uh- hi," Buffy said falteringly. "I just- well, I was in-"

"The neighbourhood?" Spike said bitingly. Then the smile was gone from his lips. "What do you want?"

Buffy paused for a minute, inspecting his face. Then she answered, "Nothing. The mood you're in, maybe I should just- leave."

    "Maybe you should," Spike agreed. Buffy looked at him to check he was being serious, and then she turned, ready to go. This had obviously been a mistake.

  He sighed again. "Wait."

Buffy turned around. "I thought you wanted me out of here?"

"Well, I was thrown out of _your_ house earlier, I seem to remember," Spike shot back. Then, grudgingly, he added, "I'm in a bit of a bad mood."

"So I see," Buffy replied. "You want to talk about it?"

Now, half-surprised, half-suspicious, it was _his _turn to check she was being serious. When he was sure she was, he muttered petulantly, "I didn't think what I thought mattered."

Buffy simply raised an eyebrow.  
He looked up, his face sulky. "You better come in," he grumbled. Striding into the crypt without a further word, he left the door open behind for her to follow.

***

Half an hour later, Buffy was getting nowhere. Spike was fuming. And when Spike was fuming, he tended to break off in the middle of what he had previously been saying and start swearing. Loudly.

    Buffy exhaled in frustration from where she was sitting perched on the edge of his couch. "Spike! I'm trying to help you here. Just _tell me _what _happened._"

 Spike was silent, staring at the wall, legs slung either side of his chair. Finally he burst, "That bloody woman! Why doesn't she trust me?"

Buffy regarded him with a sceptical look. "You want the list, or just one or two reasons?" 

Spike shot her a withering look. "Shut up."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Look, I came here to hear _your_ side of the story. All I've heard so far is about a thousand "bloody woman's" and "how fucking _dare she's". Please," She pleaded. "__Please, just tell me what happened."_

Spike sighed again. "Okay! Okay. Much as I really can't be bothered to think about this _anymore_, I will." He shot her a suspicious look. "Why do you care, anyway?"

Buffy waved his question away dismissively. "I'll tell you after!"

"Whatever." He got up and started pacing. "Alright, so this geezer comes through the door. I knew the moment laid eyes on 'im that he was scum. Something weren't right, you know what I mean?" He stopped and looked at Buffy for a moment. Before she had a chance to reply, he had resumed his pacing. "So we go and sit down in the den. I'm just talking to him, feeling him out. I ask him what's going on with Leia. He says nothing, not yet. He asks _me whether there's anything going on with me and her. I say no way!" Spike stopped and clenched his fists. "And to think I was starting to think she was decent, as well."_

Buffy could see Spike was in danger of ranting again. "Spike," She remonstrated gently.

"Alright, alright! I'm going, I'm going." Exhaling loudly, he carried on pacing. "So get this! This little wanker's decided I'm safe now, yeah. Has decided I won't tell. Crysten or Crystal or whatever his name was. Crystalpoof actually starts laughing now. " Puffing out his chest, Spike was pacing faster now. "Says that he was hoping I could tell him what she was like in the sack!" Spike stopped and fixed Buffy with a look of pure indignation.

   Buffy was a little taken aback, but soon she shook her head. "Yeah but Spike, that doesn't necessarily mean anything. He could've just been-"

   "Ah, ah, see!" Spike replied triumphantly. "I knew you'd say that. See, that's what I was thinking. So I decided to play along with the little bugger before I beat him to a bloody pulp. The next thing I say, maybe you could tell me how she is in the sack, after all, looks like you're going to be around a lot, eh? And _he replies no! Says he bets he could get it on the first date. He can tell you see. He can tell which one's are just __begging for it. And that's why he goes for them. That's why he pinpoints them. "I could see it, man. When you two were walking down the street,"" He mimicked Christian's American accent angrily. " "I could tell I'd be able to get in her drawers, no problem. And then I'm outta here."" Spike looked at her, his fists clenched, absolutely furious. "Tell me now if you think I was over-reacting!"_

   Buffy was flabbergasted. She sat silently for a moment, taking it all in. Then she looked up at him slowly. "Spike…you're not…."

Spike gritted his teeth. "No, Buffy. I'm bloody not lying." He started pacing again. "Why won't anyone believe me! I thought I was doing the right thing for once by sorting out that wanker. Didn't want him laying his dirty mitts on Leia." Then he stopped and stared off into space moodily. "I don't know why I bothered."

  "He sounds like a jerk," Buffy agreed.

Spike turned to her, surprise on his face. "You believe me?"

Buffy nodded. "I know when you're lying."

"No you don't," Spike mumbled.

Ignoring him, Buffy carried on, "And I know you care about Leia. It's obvious. You just wanted to protect her."

Spike backed away from her, thoroughly disgruntled. "Care about her? Where did you get a bleedin' stupid idea like that from?"

"Ugh!" Buffy threw her hands up in exasperation. "You two are just as bad as each other! Why won't you just admit it?"

Spike opened his mouth to protest, but then it closed as he took in what she had said and a little smile appeared on his face. " So…she talks about me then?"

Buffy rolled her eyes for like the millionth time. "No!" Spike's face fell and he quickly looked annoyed. "That's the point! God, I don't know what to do with you."

"Well, you can forget sticking me with her ever again," He retorted childishly. "On one of your little missions? Count me out."

Buffy's eyes widened in horror as she remembered. "Tonight! Oh no! We've got a deal tonight…and I'm going with Angel- which would've meant you and…" Trailing off, she adopted a wheedling tone. "Spike, please?"

"No!" Spike roared. "NO."

Quickly her wheedling tone disappeared and she placed her hands on her hips. "You are SO annoying! Stop being so selfish!"

"Me, selfish?" Spike was incredulous. "You take the bloody cake, sweetheart." He turned his back on her. "I'm not coming within a hundred yards of Leia again."

"That's it!" Buffy exclaimed. "Come on. Put your duster on."

"Why?"

Buffy marched over to the dresser and flung the leather coat at him. "We're going to see Giles. I'll skim over the details because he _so doesn't need to know exactly how you behaved. And don't argue. He'll have to sort this one out."_

"No," Spike replied huffily. "I've had enough of her. Besides, how can I work with someone that doesn't trust me?"

Buffy eyed him in annoyance. Much as she disliked the blonde vampire, he had a point. "Fine!" She burst finally. "Maybe he can change the plan, then." She stomped out of the crypt. Really, why was she working so hard to sort these two out when she was so intensely irritated by him? It was unfathomable.

He stared after her, wondering whether to follow. Reluctantly deciding it was probably for the best, he shrugged on his duster and followed, taking his blanket with him.

***

"See what I mean?" Buffy said, incensed. "He's being totally stubborn."

Giles looked at Spike with irritation. "Spike, when you decided to help us, you decided to help us. There is no "whenever I feel like it" or "maybe sometimes, maybe not."

   "Oh, so it's like that, is it?" Spike mock-wondered out loud. Then he dropped the act and scowled. "And what the bleedin' hell do I get out of this little arrangement? Nothing, until your blasted niece arrived. That wasn't so bad. Now I get an earful of abuse on top of that."

    "Spike, it's not as bad as all that." Giles continued briskly. "While you do tend to annoy the hell out of me, we've accepted you as a member of the team and so you have duties, like the rest of us."

   "Who took you in when you got your chip?" Buffy chimed in. "You owe us."

"I owe you? I OWE YOU?" Spike got up, his eyes terrifyingly angry. "Fucking what?"

"Calm down!" Giles flared up. When he spoke again, his voice was low and icy. "You know the arrangements, Spike. You know what is expected of you. I don't understand why this has suddenly become a problem."

   "Because of _her," Spike muttered. "It was all fine before that."_

Giles sighed. "Spike," his voice was more sympathetic. "I understand. I know you are finding it difficult to see eye to eye with Leia, but we need you tonight. We need you to work with her. I…" Giles looked at him calmly. "I need you to take care of her. She can't do it alone. If you still find it impossible after tonight, then we'll plan around it in future."

   Spike's shoulders slumped. "Fine," He mumbled. "But don't ever say that I owe you. After this, consider yourself repaid in bloody full."

   Buffy squealed, glad everything had turned out well. Then she checked her watch. "Oops, we were supposed to meet Angel."

    Giles nodded. "We better get over there. I'll ring Anya and tell her where we are and that we're on the way."

He moved for the phone and then there was a knock at the door. Followed by another knock. Pretty soon whoever it was was hammering on the door.

   "I'll get it," Buffy offered, but Giles stopped her with a wave of his hand.

Cautiously, he paced out into the hall and opened the door a crack.

Leia barged through and flung herself in his arms.

"Leia?" He asked, a wave of panic flooding over him. "What's the matter?"

Still she clung to him, and he could feel from her heaving body that she was both out of breath and crying. Pretty soon her tears had sunk through the thin fabric of his shirt. She was obviously very frightened, as well.

  "Leia?" Gently he disentangled himself.  "Did you run all the way? Whatever happened?"

Leia looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "I feel so dirty," She managed.

"Why?" Giles asked softly, feeling a spark of fury igniting in him. If someone had hurt her…

Hearing her voice, Spike sat rigid on the couch. Buffy took note and yanked him up by his arm and into the hall.

As soon as he got out there, he noticed her ripped shirt, hanging torn off of one shoulder. Her skirt was rucked up around her thighs, revealing a bleeding scratch on her leg that had already begun to fade, as was the Slayer's healing abilities. But the long, thin trails of dried blood were there as evidence. 

"He- he," Leia looked shell-shocked. "He…I said no."

Spike couldn't stop himself and a name burst out of his mouth in a low growl. "Christian."

For the first time Leia was aware of someone other then Giles in the apartment. Her eyes fell on Spike, and at once the fear, rage, and violation mingling inside her boiled. Two bright spots of colour stained her white cheeks.

   "Yes, it was Christian," She erupted, screaming through sobs. "Are you happy, Spike? You were right, I was wrong. All he wanted was to get in my knickers! Is that what you wanted to hear?" All the colour had drained from her face and her skin was translucent, it was so deathly pale. Choking back a sob, she fled past he and Buffy into Giles's bedroom.

The sound of the door slamming cut through the silence like a gunshot.

 Buffy ran after her, but Giles blocked the way. He seemed quite taken aback, staring all around the room as thinking. When he focused again, his gaze was stony. "You knew about this?" Giles asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

    "I-" Spike began, but Buffy cut him off.

"It wasn't his fault Giles!" She started earnestly. "Look, the reason Spike and Leia had another argument this afternoon was because of this Christian. Spike sensed something bad about him and was talking to him. Leia and me went into the other room to get a soda, and when we came back, Spike was vamped and had the guy pinned against the wall. He told Leia he did it for a good reason and that Christian was only interested in one thing, and he was disrespecting Leia, but Christian denied it and Leia believed him. Spike was annoyed she didn't believe what he had said and she told him to get out." Buffy bit her lip. "I should've told you. I didn't think he'd do anything. I trusted Leia's instincts and she thought she'd be fine to go out with him." She looked off in the direction Leia had run.

    "Yes. You should've told me." Giles gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed in anger. Then he seemed to regain his composure. "I think I should go and see if she's okay. You two go to the Magic Shop and meet Angel. We'll…I'll phone you there when I've decided what to do."

   Buffy nodded, sensing that this was not a time to argue. She started out of the door and Spike trudged behind, lost in thought. Suddenly he turned back.

   "But, he won't have been able to hurt her?" There was an uncertainty in his voice. "Because she's the Slayer and he's just…well he's just a boy?"

   Giles looked back at him. "There are other ways in which a person can be hurt far more seriously than physically, Spike."  With that, Giles turned and disappeared into the back of his flat. Spike sighed and followed Buffy. Again.


	15. Chapter 15

***

Leia sat on the bed, knees hunched. Why was this affecting her so much? She was the Slayer. She could kick his ass. In fact, she _had_ kicked his ass. But thinking of that only reminded her how hard she found it to stop; something terrifying that she didn't want to dwell on.

    Giles entered her room quietly, a mug of something warm and comforting in his hand.

"Are you okay, love?" He asked gently, sitting down carefully on the side of his bed. He paused, and then pulled a face. "That's a stupid question, isn't it?"

   She looked at him seriously. "I'll be 'kay."

"I know you will." Giles set the mug down and stroked her cheek. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Leia didn't answer, instead she looked at his bedside table. "What's in the mug?"

"Nice cup of tea." She looked back at him and he forced a smile. "Hot, strong, and sweet. Proper English teabags too; none of that American muck." He handed it to her. "Drink it down."

They were silent. Giles didn't want to pressure her. Leia cradled the mug in her hands. Suddenly she said, "I…I told him to stop." 

Giles didn't say anything, he just put his arm around her.

"He didn't actually do anything," Leia corrected. "I didn't…I didn't let him get that far. But…" She was struggling to put it into words. "I felt so helpless. I was just frozen in place. _Really frozen. I couldn't even move. I never really thought about what would happen if a guy tried to attack me, that way…but I never thought it could happen to me! I mean, what happened to, Slayer instincts, sensing trouble, and all that?" She looked up at him, shaken. "It was like my powers had deserted me."_

 Giles sighed. He turned her to face him, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Love, it wasn't an ordinary slaying situation. Matters of the heart…well, there aren't many supernatural things available to us that can interfere there. Look at Buffy and Angel. You would think that a Slayer would be constantly on alert around a vampire and could never allow them to get close, just because of the instincts instilled in you. But when your heart gets involved, they have to submit." He smiled slightly. "It's the most powerful force in all of nature."

   Leia nodded, a lump in her throat. "But I didn't like it…why couldn't I stop it?"

"Because in those sort of situations, you're just like any other ordinary woman, my darling." Before Leia could ask what he meant, he asked, " How did you eventually get away?"

Leia thought for a moment. "I just…pushed him away. It wasn't anything like when I'm fighting- it was just desperate."

  "It was survival," Giles corrected. "Have you ever been in a fight when you've been going so long that your powers start to weaken?"

 Leia shook her head.

Giles carried on, "Well, this was like that. It'll happen one day. After your powers have been broken down, the only thing that is left is your will to survive. And it was that instinct, and not your Slayer instinct, which saved you today. It was your personal strength; your strength of character. And you should be proud of that." He smiled properly now, his eyes lifting. "I know I am."

   Leia felt strangely cleansed, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "So it's not because I can't handle real pressure?"

 "Good god, no!" Giles exclaimed. "If anything, you have passed the most important test a Slayer will face, and surpassed any expectations anyone can have of you. It is one thing to be blessed with those powers that you have. But it is quite another to be a truly strong person. Strong where it matters." Giles patted his chest, and then he patted hers. "Strong in there."

    Leia smiled slowly, her spirits raised. "Thank you." She looked at him, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I feel you should know that I got him in the end, though. Sometimes Slayer strength can have an advantage as well as a strong heart." 

  Giles grinned. "Well, in the circumstances I think I can say- well done. Saves me from having to go looking for him." 

Leia chuckled, and scrambled over and hugged him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Giles held her tightly. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

"You're not mad at me for going off with a stranger?"  
"Well, I wish you'd been a bit more careful," Giles admitted. "But all that matters is that you are safe." He moved back from her and looked at her reproachfully. "You should place a little more faith in Spike, you know."

   Immediately Leia's mood darkened. "I bet he loved it that I was wrong."

Giles shook his head. "I don't think he did, you know. He might not have a soul, but I honestly do find a real sense of humanity in Spike. He can be trusted." Looking at his watch, he looked back at her. "Darling, I hate to make you do this, but…are you going to be alright on this mission tonight? It's of vital importance."

   Leia nodded, and Giles was relieved. "I'll be fine. I'm raring to go, actually." She put her fists up. "Vamps better stay out of my way."

   Giles held up his hands. "I can see you're in no mood to be trifled with!"

"Too right." She smiled briefly, and then asked, "Can I take a shower first?"

"Yes, make it a quick as possible though and I'll go and ring the Magic Shop."

As Leia made her way, she thought, so my uncle actually trusts Spike? Who would've thought it?

***

Buffy had arrived at the Magic Shop without much time to spare. She and Angel had left immediately, without any talk of where they were going or what they were going to do. Sprinting ahead of her, he veered off into a wide alleyway by an old warehouse. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her down beside him behind two large crates.

   "What now?" She whispered, panting a little.

"Why weren't you here sooner?" Angel scowled.

"I'm sorry, there was a bit of crisis!" Buffy retorted. "And now it'd be kinda nice to know what the plan is."

"The Master will be coming out any minute," Angel told her. "The plan was, we wait in my car" He pointed to the black BMW parked round the corner. "And follow them. But now it looks like we're going to be too late."

"Why can't we just go to your car?" Buffy asked, confused.  
"I had to check he was still here first. And now we can't move…because of that." Buffy followed Angel's eyes to where he was looking. Vampires were already coming out of the door of the warehouse.

"We can't alert anyone to our presence," Angel hissed. "This is just _perfect. I had it all planned out."_

"Well sorry for upsetting your plans, Angel," Buffy rolled her eyes. "We'll have to improvise, 'kay?"

Angel nodded, and remained silent. Several boxes were being loaded into the back of a golden Cadillac parked opposite them. Buffy squinted and craned her neck. Some of the boxes were open- maybe the tablet was still in there. 

"What do we do when we get to your car?" Buffy asked Angel, her eyes fixed on the box.

"Just concentrate on getting there," Angel answered. "I'll tell you the rest when we're in."

   Finally the vampires seemed to be satisfied that they had loaded everything, and called around the door. Then, as a dark figure trailing a long cloak came out of the doorway, they immediately dropped to the ground at his feet. 

  "That's him," Angel whispered.

Expecting him to look a little like the only Master she had ever met, Buffy was extremely shocked when she laid her eyes on this vampire. He was very tall and had a Mediterranean essence about him; his hair fell to his shoulders in dark ringlets and he had full, sensuous lips. When he raised his head, Buffy could see that his eyes, even when not in game face, were a startling amber colour.

   The hairs stood up on the back of her neck. She shuddered and looked away. "Creepy." 

Angel was watching them get into the car intently. "Okay," He intoned. "I think we better get ready- we're going to have to run."

  Buffy tensed her thigh muscles, ready for action. "Now?"

The car rounded the corner.  
"Now."

They both leaped over the crates and made a dash for his car. Two vampires came out of the darkness and Buffy hesitated, wondering whether to fight them.

  "Just leave them," shouted Angel, grabbing her arm. "We've got to go!"

Reaching the car, Angel flung open the side door and slid across, and Buffy jumped in, slamming the door quickly. One of the vampires jumped on the hood.

"Start the car!" Buffy yelled. "They're getting away!"

The ignition roared to life and the vampire fell off the hood. Buffy was glued to her seat as Angel screeched around the corner after the Master's car.

"So what happens now?" Buffy asked, trying to keep her eyes off the road as they hurtled past shops, houses, trees in a blur.

"We follow him," Angel replied, swinging around another corner.

"And then what?" Buffy asked again, irritated. 

"And then…I block the road with my car." Angel said calmly.

Images of Angel swinging round in front of the Master's car that then crashed into them filled Buffy's head. "_What?"_  She screeched. "Are you _crazy?"_

"Sometimes," Angel swerved sharply to avoid a bollard.

"Angel, hello?" Buffy gripped the armrest tightly to avoid flying out of her seat. "I'm still alive here, and would like to stay that way."

"Buffy, it'll be fine," Angel chuckled. "I know what I'm doing, I've done this before in LA."

The Master's car was in sight now, looming in front of them and glinting in the moonlight. The trees were swaying crazily in the force gale winds outside the car. A branch hit the windscreen.

"Oh god," Buffy gasped. "I'm going to die."

"Buffy-"

"This is A CRAZY PLAN!" She screamed. "I can't believe Giles okayed this."

"It's the only way," Angel looked at her.

"EYES ON THE ROAD! EYES ON THE ROAD!"

Angel hastily looked back. "Buffy, I'm going to overtake them soon so that I can cut off their escape. That means we have to go faster. Can you deal with that?"  
Her eyes huge, she gripped the seat harder. He glanced at her. She nodded wordlessly. He pressed his foot on the accelerator and Buffy closed her eyes.

***

Leia and Spike made their way down the sewers in silence. They both thought the only way to get through the night without a huge fight would be without talking. 

It was a windy night. The weather bulletins had announced that Hurricane Margo was coming. She could hear the wind whistling down the tunnels, and the water was sloshing about her ankles. She looked up and saw that the ceiling of the sewer was sagging in the middle.

   Finally she couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Aren't you worried about this place collapsing? What with the storm and all?"

    Spike looked at her, startled by the sound of her voice. "Doesn't exactly bother me." He said snippily, lighting a cigarette. "I'm already dead."

  Leia felt her blood boiling in her veins. "Forget I spoke."

Spike was about to give a snappy reply, but as he opened his mouth he saw that Leia was shivering. He sighed and relented a little.  "It's built on granite and these tunnels have stood for over a hundred years.  I don't think one bad storm will send it toppling into the sea."

   "It's more than a bad storm. The last weather report I heard talked about a hurricane."

"If I believed every panic-stricken weather bulletin, I wouldn't have let you come down here," Spike said calmly.

    Leia wanted to question that remark, but instead said quietly, " It was supposed to be a big one. Category four at least, with storm surges and catastrophic winds…"

     Spike studied her closely. "You don't seem particularly distressed by the notion."

"I love storms. Though if this were a full-blown hurricane I'd rather watch it from some safe motel that gets the Weather Channel."

  For a moment he said nothing, then he shook his head. "I was telling the truth earlier, you know."

Leia paused and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she replied coolly, "I'd rather not talk about that right now."

Spike grabbed her arm. "Well, I want to." His eyes were blazing into hers and she looked down at his hand clenched round her arm. Reminded of earlier, she tried to contain herself and took a deep calming breath.  

   "Let go of me." She said slowly.

"Or what? Are you going to slap me?" Spike murmured.

Leia grimaced, and pulled her arm free. "We should keep walking. And I have absolutely no desire to slap you."

His smile was brief and disbelieving.  "Don't you, now?  Why do I find that hard to believe?"

  "Maybe because you know that most people you meet end up wanting to clobber you," She suggested helpfully.

 "Not most people. Most women."

"And you meet so many in your current lifestyle?"

He laughed, and the sound was soft and surprisingly pleasant in the stone passageway. "True enough." He turned and moved onward.

The quietness resumed as they walked, eventually reaching the heavy door. Spike handed her the lantern and peered at the vault, searching for the opener.

   "No guards," Leia commented, looking around her.

"Well, that's a blessing," Spike grunted as he twisted the circular handle. He leant against it and it swung open with a satisfying sepulchral creak. He took the lantern back from her, holding it high to light their way. The bright bulb had dimmed a bit, providing a weaker flicker of light, but it was enough to illuminate the trove. 

     The room had changed. The walls were no longer gold; it was no longer stark and blinding, dazzling. It was dark and bare when they opened the door. But it was not empty. Gone were the chests of jewels and gold spilling all over the place, cutlasses and skeletons in artful array. Now it was more like a curator's room from a museum. There were gold pieces, certainly, and piles of jewellery. There were also bright brass spyglasses, shards of pottery, ancient instruments barely damaged by their sojourn in the depths of the sea. As she sorted through them, without thinking, she bypassed the pile of jewels that glowed dimly in the light and went to touch an ancient stoneware jug, adorned with pale blue hummingbirds.

    "This is beautiful," She murmured, stroking it with loving hands. Beside it lay an ancient telescope, still shiny, and she held it with reverent care. "These things are amazing."

Spike, picking his way through some of the items on another table in search of the tablet, turned and faced her. He watched her with an odd expression on his face, but she'd accepted the fact that there was no way to tell what he was thinking. "You're interested in antiques?"

"I'm fascinated by things people actually used," she said, setting the brass tube down again. "I like thinking about their lives, their cares, who they loved, who they hated. I like history."

  "People wore jewellery, too."

She glanced over at the glittering pile of gold and gems. "I suppose so," She said. "My ancestors were decent, hardworking common folk. I think they were more likely to care about a good plough than a string of pearls."

   He set the lantern down on the table and picked up one of the strands. They were like nothing she'd ever seen before - a shimmering, luminous grey-black that seemed to glow with a life of its own.

     "And you're more interested in an old telescope than a strand of the finest, rarest of black pearls?" Spike's voice was soft, seductive, as he held them out to her.

  Leia looked at them and then looked away. "We should just look for the tablet and go."

"Oh, don't be a spoilsport. There's no rush. It's not like the vampires are coming back, after all. So?" He held the pearls up higher.

Leia wished she could deny their appeal, but she was, above all things, honest. "They're beautiful," She said, making no effort to touch them. 

   "These aren't as lustrous as they should be, of course."

"Why not? They look utterly magnificent as they are."

"Pearls are unlike any other jewellery. They need to be worn. They pick up a sheen and lustre from a woman's skin. When they lie in darkness, untouched, their glow fades."

"They don't need a woman's skin," She shot back. "You're not going to tell me that oestrogen makes them shiny- I won't believe it. Why don't _you wear them?" She was being deliberately cranky. She wanted those black pearls. They were huge, sumptuous, frankly erotic, and she wanted them lying next to her skin, taking her warmth, glowing with her life. And she would have died rather than admit it. And she knew she should look for the tablet and stop all this talk, but she couldn't. The atmosphere in the room was heavy and Leia was caught under the hypnotic spell Spike was weaving for her with all his words._

    A week ago Spike would've lost his temper and shouted in response to her flippant remark, but she had done something to him. She wasn't obedient or submissive like he was used to women being, and she had drawn him in. She had mellowed him. He was patient, he actually wanted _her to want what __he himself wanted. And he, somewhat ridiculously, wanted to give her these pearls. He wanted to see them on her, lying on her bare, soft skin. So he merely smiled faintly. "They're not my style. Turn around."_

     "Why?"

"So I can put them on you. I told you, they need to be worn."

"Not by me." It was getting darker and darker in the windowless stone room, and she couldn't figure out why. He'd set the lantern down by the door, and no one else was here.

"By you," he said, and put his arms around her neck.

Leia couldn't escape- he'd already lifted up her mass of hair and begun fastening the string of black pearls. His hands were cool against the warmth of her skin, but the pearls seemed to be alive, vibrating, and hot, against the soft, vulnerable skin of her neck.

   She held her breath, she wasn't sure why, sneaking a look up at him out of lowered eyes. He was so close she could see the scar on the side of his face, under his ear, and the faint dark flecks in his dazzling blue eyes. She could feel the coldness of him, his hard body, the gentleness of his hands, and if he didn't hurry up she'd probably pass out from lack of oxygen…

   He stepped back, and she let out her breath with a strangled gasp. "Very nice," he murmured, surveying her with lazy interest. "They suit you."

She couldn't stop herself from touching them. They rested against her vulnerable throat like rich black grapes, and for a moment her fingers curled around them, tempted to rip them off. It was more than a necklace. It was a claiming, whether he knew it or not. Like a scar; he had branded her. And she was afraid to be claimed.

  "I can't…" she said, but her voice came out with no more than a whisper.

"They'll die here in the darkness," he said. "Untouched, unwanted, their light will go out and they'll be lost forever. You should take them."

Spike wasn't talking about the exotic black pearls. Leia wasn't thinking about the pearls when she reached out her hand to him. He flinched, as if afraid of her touch, but he didn't step back, and her fingertips brushed the scar by his ear.

   The darkness closed down about them like a trap as the lantern burnt out. A moment later the door slammed, and they were sealed inside the stone room like two lovers in a tomb. 


End file.
